Scripted Wishes
by Clumsy Darknut
Summary: Lucy is out of her dad's house and away from the private school she had been forced to attend. Now, with a new start at a public high school, she could finally get into her true passion: theatre. As she and her friends face high school turmoil, theatrical challenges, and demons from their pasts, they discover something just isn't quite right. NaLu, Gajevy, Gruvia, Jerza. NOT AN AU.
1. Salamander

Lucy sighed contentedly. Students shuffled around her, exuberantly seeking out old friends or meandering up the steps to the front of Magnolia High. The front patio of the school, lined with well-kept foliage and comfortable wooden benches, was bustling with the excitement of the new school year. A hint of anxiety clenched at her throat, but as she gazed up at the majestic statue before her she was able to shove it away. She glowed as she read the banner strung between the two large wings of the stone mascot:

 _Welcome to Magnolia High School_

 ** _Home of the Dragons_**

 _Let's make it a good year!_

She was here. At a _real_ school! Not that her previous educational program hadn't been, but it lacked the most important thing any school should have: a _theatre department_. Private academies like those she had attended her whole life rarely fostered anything as rowdy as a theatre program. Konzern Academy had some great things, she'd admit – they were top-notch when it came to academics, and they were the only secondary school in the whole of Fiore to boast a fully-fledged Astronomy program – but the school lacked something incredibly important. Some called it heart. Some called it imagination. And Lucy called it a theatre department.

Lucy flipped out her smartphone and turned on the internal camera, checking to make sure her ponytail was still sitting just right. She smiled giddily, jogging in place momentarily whilst trying (and failing) to contain a squeal. She had intended to come the previous school year when she turned sixteen and could legally move out and away from her father, but it took more work and more saving to build up the funds to afford it than she could do as a fifteen-year-old. After turning sixteen she was able to find work and saved every penny of her tiny, part-time paychecks until she could afford a few months rent somewhere in Magnolia City. Her father certainly wasn't happy about her working jobs behind his back, and she could only imagine how much less happy he was the morning he discovered she wasn't on the estate anymore, but at least he hadn't come interfering as of yet.

Anxiety gripped her throat again. She hadn't heard anything from him – no calls, no texts, and no limos to drag her back to the estate. It was somewhat concerning. But, determined to enjoy herself, she swallowed down the knot in her throat and rushed past the dragon monument into the building.

The main lobby was cool and bright, despite the massive number of people scattered about in clumps. The variety in tastes and personalities was quite apparent from a single glance. There were no uniforms. She had hated the dress code at Konzern Academy. It left no room for individualization, and even though she looked fantastic in her school shirt, she wanted to wear cute clothes intentionally rather than by obligation. Like she could do here. Like she was currently doing. She had specially picked this outfit. She wore a nicely fitted light yellow blouse hanging loose over a thigh-length black skirt to really accentuate her petite structure. Around her ponytail was tied a large black bow, and she had splurged a bit to pick out some cheap black jewelry just for today. She was so excited about being herself that she even took the time to lace her black boots with yellow laces to complete the look. Seeing all the other variety in the room made her feel right at home as she was dressed, and she liked it.

 _It's so different,_ she thought, weaving between groups. _It still feels like high school, but there's so much more energy._ She snuck her way between a group of darkly clad metalheads and a group of bubbly freshmen to the main office.

"Excuse me?" she said, drawing the attention of the secretary.

"Ah, Lucy!" the woman replied, "I assume you're here about your schedule adjustments?"

Lucy smiled and nodded.

"Well, I have good news and bad news," the woman continued, "We were able to transfer all of your credits from Konzern Academy, so you are right on track for graduation."

"Yes!" Lucy exclaimed, pumping her fist. That was the first step to the theatre department: not having to take extra classes to make up for non-transferrable credits.

"However," she interjected, " while we were able to replace one of your make-up classes with the Japanese course you requested, we can't immediately add you to the Theatre course."

Lucy's heart sank, but before she could ask why the woman smiled brightly and a flicker of hope returned.

"Because the upper-level drama courses are audition only, we can't override this and enroll you from the office. But if you take this sheet and have Director Dreyar sign here-" she pointed, "and here-" pointing again, "we can fit it perfectly into the gap in your schedule."

Lucy couldn't believe how smoothly this was working out. Taking the form, she paused and asked, "He can just sign this without me auditioning?"

"Oh sure honey," the woman responded, "From what I understand, you don't need to audition to be a part of the crew or the pit orchestra, but the system has them all lumped under one class that requires director approval. If you still want to perform you can set up an audition for next semester, but I can tell you're itching to sink your teeth into this business." She winked at Lucy, triggering all sorts of excited bubbles in her stomach. Lucy was used to getting special attention from people because of her family name, but it had always felt cold and obligatory. This secretary – despite Lucy not knowing her name – had gone above and beyond, and not for any reason but a love for the students at the school. That warmness was a nice change from the superficial motions she had grown accustomed to.

"Thank you sooooo much!" she squealed.

"My pleasure, hon!" she chimed, "Oh, and Lucy…"

"Yes ma'am?"

"We've already spoken with your instructors. They've all agreed not to call out your last name when taking roll."

Lucy gasped. "That's really okay?"

"Perfectly okay. The faculty were very understanding of your wish to conceal that." She snickered and continued, "It's certainly more reasonable than when a student asked the whole faculty to call her Daphne instead of her real name in order to pull an April Fool's joke 7 months later." Lucy burst out laughing.

"Yes, it was quite the year," the secretary giggled, "but if we learned anything from that experience, it's that it would certainly help the faculty to fulfill your request if you gently reminded them before class for the first couple weeks.

"That's totally understandable," Lucy replied, smiling and nodding. "I'll be sure to do so."

"Alright, honey, if you need anything else we're always happy to help. Just get us that form back by Wednesday and you'll be all good to go."

Lucy smiled and left with a cheerful thank you. She returned to the lobby just in time to hear the intercom crackle.

"WELCOME BACK DRAGONS! I hope it's been a good summer break! We will now begin our Welcome Assembly! Please make your way to the auditorium! …and this assembly is mandatory for students _and_ faculty!"

Lucy couldn't help but giggle at the announcement. A line like that would never have graced the halls of _Konzern Academy._ She liked it here already.

* * *

The auditorium finally began to settle down as the principal took the stage. Lucy had found a seat near the sound booth, scrunched between a burly white-haired senior and a particularly animated freshman girl. She had picked this seat hoping to take a good look at the sound and lights equipment, but the fact that every student in every seat had their bags left little room for looking around. As the principal began his remarks, she couldn't help but hear the whispered conversation of the freshman and her friends.

"Did you really meet him?"

"What was he like?"

"I can't even-!"

 _Who could they be talking about?_

"I want to see him!"

"Maybe we can catch him outside after the assembly?!"

"I can't believe _Salamander_ goes here!"

Lucy blinked.

"My sister was talking about his fire tricks at last year's talent show!"

"I hear he does special effects too!"

Lucy had heard that name. Where had she heard it?

"He's definitely the hottest guy in the drama club- get it? Hottest? Because he does fire tricks?"

"Ughhhhh don't make stupid puns Cass!"

There it was! The school's Instagram had tagged a _Salamander_ in a lot of their posts about the drama club! She had seen it on occasion and wondered who in the world managed to get the username _Salamander_ without attaching any extra symbols or numbers. She hadn't been following the school Instagram for long and she'd never bothered to watch any of the video posts – perhaps she would have to later. For now, though, this seemed to be a great stroke of luck. If he was part of the theatre department, he could probably introduce her to Director Dreyar. She could just follow those girls after the assembly when the lunch break started and they'd lead her right to a known member of the club she was after.

She smiled and leaned back in content – as much as she could lean back anyway. Trying to get comfortable in the cramped space was quite difficult. She directed her attention away from the chatty girls and back to the stage, where the assistant principal was now speaking about general rules and regulations.

"…and remember," the gruff man continued, "The dress code is in effect from the moment the doors are unlocked until the dismissal bell rings. If you're intending to wear something against the dress code to your extracurriculars, it had better be covered until then. Thespians, I'm looking at you."

Most of the upperclassmen laughed at the quip, and Lucy faintly heard "My armor didn't even show any skin! How was that against the dress code?!" from somewhere down near the stage.

She had definitely picked the right school. As the assembly continued there were many casual quips directed at a huge variety of different clubs and departments, and the relaxed interactions were completely different from the uptight attitude that permeated Konzern Academy. She was particularly surprised when the Student Body Officers introduced themselves and showed a video they had made specifically for the welcome assembly. The humor and lightheartedness here was refreshing, and as the meeting ended, she couldn't wait to start classes.

The squeal of the girls next to her when the lights came up called her attention back to her plans. She was going to follow them to _Salamander,_ right? She squeezed out of her seat with her bag, following them down the row, down the stairs, and back out into the lobby. Their sudden, shrill screams let her know that they had found who they were looking for – or at least, a crowd of more freshmen surrounding who she hoped was the _Salamander_ in question.

She maneuvered her way through the mob of underclassmen until she reached the front. Her eyes boggled.

The boy was tall, with dark blue hair and a chiseled jaw. The shape of his face was accented by his mild undercut hairstyle, which left him with delicious sideburns and windswept bangs. Lucy felt her heart quicken as his thin, dark eyebrows drew down and his lips curled up into a smirk. His navy blue blazer and white button-up emphasized his thin but attractive build, and his loose, maroon tie gave his dark eyes an added layer of depth. Forget the fire tricks, this guy was _hot_. He nonchalantly brushed his bangs to the side, revealing a blue tat above his eye that looked somewhat like two horseshoes stuck together. _He's daring enough to put a tat right on his face?_ she thought excitedly. _That would **not** have flown at Konzern._

"Oh you're too kind," he chuckled, some of the girls squealing and turning pink. He tossed his head, flipping his hair and looking directly at Lucy with a wink.

Lucy felt her breath catch and she turned away, blushing. _He noticed me?_ she thought. _Well, I guess I am the only junior in a crowd full of freshmen._

"Oi, Loke!" She felt someone push past her.

The boy was about her age, standing just a few inches taller than herself. He wore a thin but large red jacket and some well-loved black jeans. The jacket was zipped almost all the way, but the mustard-yellow hem of a shirt was still somewhat visible underneath. His sneakers were the same mustard yellow, and around his neck was wrapped a scaly-looking white scarf. He had a black and white backpack slung over his shoulder, his free hand shoved into his jacket pocket. His eyes were black and alert, his grin showing off fang-like canines, and his hair… now that was a surprise. His messy, spiky hair was a pleasant shade of sakura pink.

"Haven't seen you all summer! How was-" he cut off abruptly.

Salamander's smile wavered as he turned toward the newcomer.

"You're not Loke," the pinkette grumbled.

"No, but I'm sure that can't be the only reason you came over here," Salamander replied smoothly, "but unfortunately you'll have to wait in line just like the rest of these lovely ladies." Several girls gasped and cooed.

"What are you talking about?" the boy replied, eyes raising in genuine surprise.

Salamander sighed, "Well, I've never gone out with another guy before, but I'm open to trying new things."

The pinkette's eyebrows furrowed and his cheeks tinged red as he shouted, "I-I'm not gay! I was literally just looking for a friend." Lucy's sudden attraction to the preppy junior diminished when he smirked mockingly.

"Oh that's too bad," he sneered, "We could have had lots of fun. But I guess that means more for the ladies."

The boy grimaced, then retorted, "How are any of them supposed to have fun when you're wearing that freaky mask? Oh, whoops, I guess that's just your face."

Lucy suppressed a giggle, but the crowd of girls was filled with gasps of abhorrence. The dark-haired boy stuttered for a moment, glaring, before cooling off and continuing.

"Well, no matter your hesitance on exploring your true feelings, _closet dweller,_ you're still invited to my back to school bash tonight," he smirked, "As are all of you beautiful ladies! I hope to see every one of you there!" Girls cooed and squealed as he turned away and waltzed down the hall. The pink-haired boy glowered for a second, then sighed, rubbing the back of his head. Then, realizing something, he looked right up at Lucy.

Lucy gave a start. She hadn't moved an inch and the crowd had dissipated, leaving just her and the pinkette, and she was looking right at him. _Whoops. Way to make things awkward, Luce._

Snapping back to the present, she said, "Well he's kind of a jerk, isn't he?"

The boy's blank look vanished as he grinned, saying, "Kind of? More like definitely."

They laughed, the awkwardness vanishing.

"I'm Lucy," she said, smiling and holding out her hand.

"Natsu," he replied, shaking it in return. His voice had a rough quality to it, but not so much that "rough" was the right word. It wasn't as deep as Salamander's had been, but it had an element of depth that was pleasant to listen to. "You don't seem the type to get caught in one of those fangirl circles."

She laughed, "No, but I heard some girls in the auditorium talking about him and I was sort of curious. I'm brand new here, so…"

"Oh really?" he perked up. "Well, welcome to Magnolia!"

"Thanks!" she giggled, continuing, "It's lunch time now, right? Mind if I sit with you?"

He chuckled, "You're just asking because I'm the only person you've met, huh?"

Lucy's mouth hung open, a tinge of shock prickling across her face before she drew her eyebrows down in slight annoyance and said, "N-no! How rude, assuming something like that just because I'm new!"

He gave her a sarcastic look.

She gave an irritated scowl. "Okay, you're right, but I also thought you were kind of cool talking to that preppy jerk! You kind of snapped me out of the initial 'wow he's hot' moment so I could think straight, and that automatically makes you better than him." She turned away in a false huff. "Jeez, this is what I get for trying to be friendly?"

Natsu laughed out loud, running a hand through his spiked hair. "Well, I'm not new here, so you're _not_ the only person I've met, and I'm still cool with joining me." He started off down the hall.

She smirked and followed after him. _First friend! This day is working out pretty well!_

* * *

The cafeteria was noisy and bright. High ceilings and large windows made it feel roomy and pleasant, despite the floor being overcrowded with circular tables. Lucky for Lucy, most of the students in the room had already gone through the lunch line, so it looked as though there wouldn't be much of a wait. She followed Natsu over to the stack of trays and slid into the line behind him.

"Hey, do me a favor?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Sure, what's up?" she replied, somewhat surprised.

"Those stingy lunch ladies don't let you take more than one of anything, even if you swear you'll eat it," he grumbled, "so would you mind getting one of everything and letting me have anything you don't want?"

Lucy blinked, then broke into giggles. "Sure, I can do that. It's the least I can do for breaking me out of the fangirl trance earlier."

He smiled and continued through the line. Because it was only the first day and the school schedule was all out of whack, the lunch ladies had just opted to order several hundred boxes of pepperoni pizza rather than offer multiple main dishes. Lucy didn't mind, as a single slice and a carton of milk would probably fill her up, but the way Natsu pestered the lunch ladies for an extra slice and attempted to swipe an extra thing of grapes made her pretty sure he wasn't happy with the idea. True to her word, though, she made sure to get a scoop of corn and a cup of peaches even though she had no intention of touching either.

"I don't see any of my friends around…" Natsu mumbled as they pulled away from the serving area, scanning the room. He looked over his shoulder at her. "I guess I'll just have to introduce you later. Want to sit outside?"

She gave him an enthusiastic nod and he returned a toothy grin. He led her through the tables away from where they had entered and pushed open the door, balancing his tray in one hand. It opened to a patio that stretched along the back side of the school, though the area near the door was somewhat sectioned off by decorative concrete planters and filled with round wire tables. Beyond the seating area, grass sloped down slightly from the patio to the fence marking off the athletic fields. So far, this was the only part of Magnolia High that reminded her of Konzern Academy. Both schools had remarkably fine landscaping.

Natsu led her past the concrete planters and plopped down at the top of the grassy slope. She did the same, still somewhat ogling at the extent the rear of the school had been decorated.

"Alright, what can I take?" he asked, shifting things around on his tray.

"Oh right!" Lucy said. She took a glance at her crowded tray. She unfolded her napkin and moved her slice of pizza on to it, picked up her milk carton, and then held out the tray to Natsu. "You can have the rest. This is all I want."

Natsu gave her a surprised look without reaching out for it.

"You sure?" he marveled.

"Oh yeah I don't eat much." She held out the tray, nodding to him.

He looked it over and took it. After a second, he pulled the school-made brownies off both her tray and his own, handing them back to her.

"Oh no I'm good," she laughed, "It's really okay."

"I know," he said, "but I'm not a fan of sweets anyway. Go on."

Figuring he would insist if she refused, she took them both and sat them in her lap with her pizza slice.

"So," he began, folding his pizza like a taco, "you're new right?"

She nodded, opening her milk carton. "Yeah, I just transferred from Konzern Academy."

"Tha' private shool wi' the astrology thingy?" he said, mouth full.

"That's the one," she said, giggling and taking a sip, "I was in the astrology program, actually, but the rest of the school… Kind of dead in terms of fun."

He nodded, shoving the rest of his pizza into his mouth.

"I actually came here because of the theatre program," she continued, "The only arts Konzern offers are classical training in music and whatnot, and as much as I respect people who play violin concertos, it's just a bit uptight for me. Not to mention the whole dress code thing where we all look like identical little aristocrats."

Natsu almost choked on the grape he had just popped into his mouth, snickering.

She smiled, taking a bite out of a brownie. "When I heard Magnolia's theatre department partnered with the professional theatre company in town I just _had_ to come here. I guess I could have just auditioned for the theatre company without transferring schools and doing it on my own time, but there's no way I'd be good enough to get in just like that."

Natsu shook his head, swallowing the last peach in his fruit cup, "I bet you could've gotten in just fine."

She laughed as he violently shoved more food into his mouth. "Well, maybe, but that still would have left me with wearing those stupid uniforms every day."

He paused, cheeks full, then shrugged and nodded.

Lucy smiled and continued eating.

Natsu swallowed. "What do you think so far?"

"Oh I love it!" she bubbled. "There are so many interesting people, and it seems like there's always something fun going on."

Natsu laughed, mouth full of corn, "Bu' I though' I wash the only pershon you met!"

Lucy swallowed the last bite of her pizza, blushing. "Well yeah, but it's easy to see when everyone isn't wearing the same thing!"

"I guess that's true," Natsu replied, downing his milk carton in a single gulp.

Lucy blinked, just now taking in how much food the pinkette had shoved into his face. When they had come out here, both trays were overflowing with fruit cups and scoops of vegetables. Now, only minutes later, his tray was completely cleaned off, and he was almost done with Lucy's. She still had a brownie and most of her milk left.

"Whatcha starin' at?" Natsu shoved an apple slice into his mouth. "Ish there shomething on my jacket?"

She giggled and shook her head. "I just can't believe you ate so much." She took a bite from her brownie.

"Thish? Thish ish barely a meal." He swallowed. "But I ought to thank you. Even though I asked you to get extra, I wasn't expecting you to let me have that much." He grinned. " _Gochisou sama deshita_![1]"

Lucy's jaw dropped, and forgetting her mouth was full of brownie, said, "You shpeak Japaneshe?"

He started in confusion, then said, " _Sukoshi hanaseru. Lucy-san mo? **[2]** "_

" _Watashi mo hanaseru yo! **[3]**_ " she squealed.

Natsu's face lit up and his grin got even bigger. " _Waaa sugeeei **[4]**_ are you in second year Japanese then?"

"I am!" she chimed.

"Yosh! _Moete kita so! **[5]** "_ Lucy was quite surprised at her luck. Not only had she made a friend on day one, but he also happened to be in one of her more difficult classes. Half the time when she met people on the first day of school they ended up not having a single period with her and they never spoke again. She was glad this wasn't the case with the quirky pinkette.

Just then, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the rest of the day's activities. Natsu gave a little start, looked down at the remaining food on Lucy's tray, then looked up at her.

"Think I can finish?" he said with a grin.

"We've only got five minutes to get to class, don't we?" she replied, furrowing her brow in confusion.

"You're right," he said, grinning wider, "That's _plenty_ of time!" Suddenly he was scooping food into his mouth at an even faster pace, occasionally dropping corn kernels into the grass. Lucy recoiled slightly. Less than a minute later he had cleaned the tray completely.

"Well, thanks again, Lucy," he hummed, getting to his feet with a stretch, "Guess I'll see you in Japanese?"

"Sounds like." She got to her feet and popped the last bite of brownie into her mouth.

"Alrighty," he said, holding out a hand, " _Yoroshiku na. **[6]** "_

" _Kochira koso. **[7]**_ "

* * *

Despite thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere of Magnolia High, by her third class she started to miss the efficiency of Konzern Academy. The first day at Magnolia was broken into two segments, where the welcome assembly took up the first half of the morning, lunch was served, and then the students would visit each of their classes for only twenty minutes before going back home. In some ways it was helpful – it prevented the teachers from giving out any homework on day one and allowed new students to find their way around without as much stress, but it left almost no time to meet anyone in any of the classes. She had already been to her first five classes and hadn't been able to make friends with anyone but Natsu. It hadn't helped that she had gotten horribly lost a few times and ended up at all but her first class five minutes late.

While the lack of social interaction was disappointing, she had started to get a feel for what classes here would be like. Her first period math teacher seemed quite nice, despite his intimidatingly blocky features. He had given out a syllabus that had the words _Money is important, but love is what fuels the world_ printed in bold underneath his contact email, which Lucy took to be a good sign. The Japanese professor was a little harsher, though, as even waving across the room to Natsu had the woman shooting her an annoyed look. Her history class seemed interesting – as long as she could get used to the teacher saying "actually" much too often – and Natsu was also in her gym class, so dealing with the, um, somewhat excitable coach couldn't be too bad. She was especially looking forward to her physics class with Prof. Clive, whose school year opener had been to karate chop a cinder block in half and explain how he did it with physics. She had no doubt her fifth period was going to be a blast.

Now she wandered down a hall in what she hoped was the direction of her English class. There were a few other students bustling about, but not enough to get in her way at any point. _Perhaps it's this way? The classroom numbers are going up, so I must be headed to the right place. C'mon, Lucy, it's almost the end of the day, you've just got to find this one-_

She cut herself off and came to a halt. _Crap. It's almost the end of the day. I still need Director Dreyar's signature. But I guess it's only Monday and they needed it by Wednes-_

"You need Director Dreyar's signature?"

Lucy whipped around toward the smooth voice. Salamander was leaning against the lockers not far away, staring at her through his windswept bangs.

Abruptly realizing she had been talking to herself, she sputtered, "Well, yeah, I'm trying to transfer into the theatre course."

Salamander pushed off the lockers and swaggered closer. "You know, I've been looking for you. After I saw you in that crowd this morning, I knew I had to _personally_ invite you to my party tonight."

Lucy gulped, her heart quickening at his attractiveness despite his less than appealing attitude. "I'm not really a party person," she replied.

"Aw, just this once?" he coaxed, "I'm a member of the drama club. If you come, I'd be happy to introduce you to Director Dreyar tomorrow."

Lucy gave a start. She didn't have any idea what Director Dreyar looked like, nor did she know where his classroom was. Perhaps one party couldn't hurt? It wasn't like this Salamander guy set of any major red flags – not anything she couldn't handle anyway.

"Alright, but you've gotta do one other thing for me."

"Oh?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

She looked sheepishly down at her feet, and asked, "Where's room 213?"

Salamander blinked, then broke into chuckles. "Right up those stairs, down the first hall on the right, second or third door on your left."

"Thanks," she said, starting off.

"Wait, take this." He handed her a folded piece of paper. "You're going to need to know where the party is, won't you?"

She shoved it in her pocket, nodded with a polite smile, and took off up the stairs.

She got to her classroom with a few minutes to spare. Glancing around the room, she noticed Natsu at a desk towards the back, tilting his chair back on two legs with his arms behind his head.

"Oi, Luce!" he smiled, giving a slight wave. "Way to be on time this time!"

Lucy frowned at him, plopping into the adjacent desk. "Gym wasn't my fault. The room number was literally just 'the rec center' so you can't blame me for getting lost."

"What was different about this class then?" he teased.

"For your information," she replied matter-of-factly, "That preppy guy from this morning gave me directions."

"Yeah, right," he scoffed, "That guy is way too full of himself to be _nice_."

"He did though," she grinned, "and he personally invited me to his party."

Natsu raised an eyebrow. "You planning on going to that?"

"Yeah, I am," she chirped.

"Whatever," he said, shrugging.

The rest of that class was rather dull. Mr. Melon, their English professor, had perfected the art of using lots of pretty words and not saying much at all. Natsu drifted off to sleep minutes after the lecture started, and Lucy couldn't help but snicker at the dribble sneaking out the side of his mouth. When the bell rang fifteen minutes later, she didn't bother to nudge him awake – he could be late to his next class. It would be the perfect revenge for teasing her about getting lost.

She stepped out into the hall and pulled out her schedule. She scanned down to the bottom and found a blank. _Oh, right_ , she thought, _I haven't gotten Director Dreyar's signature yet. But there's only 20 minutes of class left, and I have no idea where to find him…_ She took a glance around the hall, tapping her finger on her chin. _I guess I could just head home. Salamander said he'd introduce me to Director Dreyar tomorrow anyway._

She took a peek back into the classroom just in time to see Mr. Melon slam a textbook on Natsu's desk, shocking him awake. She giggled and left for home.

* * *

Lucy's heart pounded as she approached the door of the house. It was obvious to see the party was already well underway, as green and blue lights flashed behind the curtains and the deep thump of a subwoofer carried out to the street. Lucy was surprised none of the neighbors had called the police, honestly. Perhaps this was the norm around this part of town.

She tugged up on her sleeveless black dress and smoothed out the short skirt over her thighs, then raised a hand to knock. Before her fingers touched wood, it swung open.

"Ah, I've been waiting for you!" Salamander grinned. To Lucy's surprise, his gaze held steady on her face, despite her rather skimpy attire. "Come on in! Things just got started." He led her through the dimly lit entryway into the kitchen, grabbing two red solo cups off the counter.

"The name's Bora, by the way," he said, offering her a drink.

"Lucy," she said, eyeing the cup, "but I don't drink, thanks."

Bora chuckled. "It's not alcohol, just ginger ale. If you need to get drunk to have fun, you can't be a very interesting person." He shot her a clever smirk. "Besides, how do you think we throw wild parties in the middle of the neighborhood without getting arrested?"

A bit of a grin snuck onto her face. _Maybe this guy isn't as bad as I thought._ Still, accepting drinks from someone she hardly knew at a party with tons of people hardly seemed like a good idea.

"Do you mind if I poor my own?" she asked, leaning against the counter.

"Not at all," he said. He snatched a cup and a 2-liter off the kitchen island across from them and handed them to her, then taking a swig from his own glass.

She smiled, poured her cup a little over half full and took a drink. The carbonated soda bubbled across her tongue and down her throat, leaving the dark taste of cherry cola.

"So I heard you do fire tricks," Lucy commented to Bora.

"That I do," he replied suavely. "Special effects, too, but that's not as fun."

"Oh?" Lucy queried. "How so?"

"Well, both end up looking pretty cool…" He brushed his bangs to the side. "…but when I'm doing the tricks, the audience can _see_ me do it."

Lucy bit her lip, heart rate picking up momentarily. "And that's more exciting?"

"Oh most definitely. Then I can see the excitement in the eyes of my fans." Leaning close, he breathed, "Almost like that look in your eyes right now."

Lucy jumped, blushing a tad. He was right, he was most definitely attractive, and she was most definitely not hiding that she thought so. She stammered, "I-I have no idea what you mean."

He grinned and pulled away. "I know you do, but if you want to play things slow tonight then I respect that." He tilted his head in the direction of the lights, and she followed after him. _Maybe coming was a good idea after all._

* * *

Natsu groaned as he rolled and stretched his shoulders. Somehow Coach Coco got it into her head that they should kick off the year with a double-length double-strength conditioning day, despite the fact cross country had started practices two weeks ago. He didn't mind working out and did so regularly on his own, but _damn_ that coach had some intense drills.

It was now pretty late, and the only light left was the leftovers of a vanishing sunset. The street lights had already come on, and he was grateful for the help in finding his spot in the parking lot. Just as he was stepping off the curb onto the asphalt, he heard two female voices from behind him.

"Dangit, the party's probably started by now."

"I wish Coach hadn't decided to go nuts today, then we could have gone."

"Too late now, by the time I finished getting all dolled up there would hardly be a party left."

"It's too bad. I bet Salamander will do some of his fire tricks since he's the one hosting."

Natsu stopped dead in his tracks.

"I've heard so much about him just today." Peeking over his shoulder, he could see the girls were pretty small – likely freshmen. _So they don't know._

"My sophomore friend said he's the best act at the talent show. I really wish we could have gone and seen him in person!"

Natsu turned around, and called, "Excuse me!"

The girls jumped a bit, not aware there was someone else out here.

"You guys were talking about a party?" he said, stepping forward. "Mind telling me where at?"

The smaller girl smiled. "No problem! I have the address right here." She pulled a folded, pink post-it out of her pocket and handed it to him.

"Thanks!" he said, flashing a grin. He started back towards the lot, then remembered something.

"Hey! By the way…"

* * *

"I never would have thought…"

Bora smirked, tossing his hair back. "Thought what?"

Lucy leaned back into the couch, taking a sip of her drink. "Thought that a guy dressed like _that_ could be anything but shallow."

"A man has to have style," Bora replied, tugging on his maroon tie. "I could say the same about you."

It was true. Lucy was rather daring in showing as much cleavage as she did. She blushed lightly and heard him sigh in response. He leaned a little closer to her, dark eyes gazing into hers. She felt her heart flutter.

"You know, you're quite beautiful," he breathed. Lucy simply soaked in his gaze. He leaned a little closer, then looked down.

"Oh hey," he said, smiling a tad, "Your glass is almost empty. Let me get you a refill."

He took the cup from her smoothly and glided away into the kitchen. She let out a shaky breath, feeling her heart pound in her chest, cheeks heating up. The idea that he might be interested in her… it was exhilarating, even if it was shallow.

He returned, sitting down and passing her the newly filled plastic cup with a grin. She took it, blushing and taking a sip.

They talked for a few more minutes, exchanging flirty compliments and deep stares. Then Bora stood up, offering her a hand.

"Whatcha doing?" Lucy asked, warmth building in her chest.

"I wanna show you something," he said simply, "Out on the back porch."

She felt her heart hitch and she took his hand, following him out through some cabana-style French doors into the cool night air. The sky was clear and glittering with stars, but as he led her to the banister it was the pool he pointed to. She gasped to see the same night sky reflected perfectly on the surface.

"On clear nights like this," he whispered, "The pool and the sky are so beautiful. Like you."

She sighed, smiling at the compliment, dazedly watching a shooting star fly across the reflection in the pool.

Suddenly she started to wobble, leaning more onto the banister. "Bora, I'm a little tired…"

He smiled gently at her and led her by the hand back inside. Lucy's eyes started to droop and she was only vaguely aware that, rather than leading her back to the couch in the living room, he had pulled her into a dark bedroom.

She blinked, mumbling, "Bora, what…? We'll miss more of the party…"

Bora slid the door shut behind him and stepped up to her, only inches away. He slid one arm around her waist and brushed her cheek with his free hand.

"Don't worry, we'll have more fun in here," he hummed, nudging her backwards toward the bed.

Her eyes flashed open as widely as they would go. "B-Bora, what are you…?"

With a sudden ferocity he pushed her down, landing on top of her on the plush mattress. She tried to let out a yelp, but it was cut off when his lips were suddenly smashed against hers. She tried to wrench her face away, but her muscles didn't seem to respond half as well as they should have. Panic started to well up in her.

Trying to protest through his lips she pushed on his shoulders with as much strength as her arms would yield, though it wasn't much. Bora grabbed her hands, lifting them above her head and pinning them with his elbow. She whimpered as his other hand slid down her side roughly and approached the edge of her skirt. Her heart raced as she struggled under his weight. He lifted his lips from hers and moved his face to her neck. Lucy cried and attempted a shout, but it was like all the strength had left her. _My drink…_ she thought weakly, _He must have spiked it… when he got me a refill…_

She tried digging her nails into his arm as she felt his sweaty hand inch up her thigh. Sobbing and kicking weakly she heard him breathe into her ear, "You must be enjoying this, huh?" She bit her lip and turned her head away.

Suddenly the door was thrown open and a burst of orange light splayed across the room as Bora was yanked off of her, falling against the wall with a thud. The orange light flickered as a figure shifted into the space between her and Bora. Groggily, she registered pink hair and a scaly white scarf.

"N-Natsu?" she stammered. He looked over his shoulder at her, but she couldn't see his expression in the shadow cast over his face.

Bora took the glance as an opportunity, launching off the wall at Natsu and attempting to land a left hook. Natsu managed to dodge most of the way, turning what would have been a dark bruise into a light graze on his cheek. Lucy saw him grab Bora's shoulders, barely able to make out what was going on in the dim light. She heard a nasty crunch of sheetrock and a loud grown before feeling a gentle but strong hand lifting her into a sitting position.

"Lucy, _daijoubu ka? **[8]** " _he panted.

"I-I think s-so…" she stammered, "He told m-me he c-could… g-get me in the d-drama c-course… H-he m-must have s-spiked my d-drink… I can't m-move…"

"I figured," he growled, "Some of the other girls looked pretty groggy. I already called the cops. I'll get you out of-" A hand fisted in Natsu's spikey hair, yanking him back.

"You BASTARD!" Bora roared, throwing Natsu to the floor, "I'll teach you to mess with the _Salamander!_ "

Natsu took a few hits before catching Bora's wrist and landing a right hook of his own. Bora reeled back enough for Natsu to slip out from under him, clambering to his feet. As Bora struggled to stand, Natsu pulled a box from his pocket and flicked it open. A small flame licked out of the corner. _A lighter?_ To Lucy's surprise, Natsu held the small flame to his palm, and his whole hand burst into flame.

She yelped, recoiling as the bright fist lit up the room. Bora's eyes bulged, and he snarled, "Just who are you?!"

Natsu gave him a smoldering glare, shadows dancing on his face.

"The guy behind the username you've been usurping."

Bora's shocked face was met with a flaming uppercut, and then he was out cold.

* * *

Natsu extinguished the flame on his fist before clamoring to where Lucy sat.

"Lucy," he breathed, looking her in the eyes, "Where do you live? I'll get you home."

"S-Sakura… Avenue…" she mumbled, blinking slowly, "231C… on the canal…"

"Okay, not far. Hey stay with me Luce," he replied, her head starting to droop, "Do you have your house key?"

He followed her lidded gaze towards the door, seeing a bag and a pair of heels tossed haphazardly next to the frame. He picked up the shoes and put them in the bag, glancing around for anything else in the room that might be hers before slinging it over his shoulder. He returned to the bed.

"I'm going to pick you up," he whispered as calmly as he could muster. Lucy simply stared at him, heavy eyes barely holding on to consciousness. He felt a slight flinch as he put an arm behind her back.

"You can trust me," he continued, hooking his elbow under her knees and beginning to rise. "I won't hurt you. Let's get you home."

He lifted her off the bed and swiftly made his way toward the front door, avoiding the scorched, unconscious teens he had left in his wake when he rushed inside. Several of the girls – all freshmen and sophomores, it seemed – were huddled together in the corner, crying. He had already told them the police were on their way, and that all they had to do was tell them what happened. He knew they wouldn't get in trouble – this was a dry party, after all, and the drugging was solely Bora and his cronies' faults. Those girls would be fine, but Natsu felt particularly responsible for this one.

 _She came to this party,_ he thought angrily, _just to get into Fairy Tail? She could have just asked me. I should have paid more attention to her when she was talking about her plans during lunch – maybe this wouldn't have happened at all._

He reached his cerulean blue motorcycle and gingerly climbed into the seat, using the handlebars and his left arm to cradle Lucy securely in front of him. She was totally unconscious now. Her house wasn't far, though, and if he went slowly he ought to be able to get her there safely.

As he started his bike, he had the sudden impression that something was… off. He looked around, not noticing anything out of the ordinary. The only noticeable oddity was one of the street lights slightly flickering rather than holding a constant glow. The air was cool but not cold, just as it should be for a late August night, and the only scent in the air was freshly cut grass and a hint of the lighter fluid he still had on his fingers. But something felt weird. Almost reminiscent of the feeling of déjà vu, but not quite the same.

Just as suddenly as the feeling had surfaced, it was gone again. He shook his head lightly and drove away.

* * *

[1] Thanks for the meal!

[2] I can speak a little. Can you?

[3] I can speak it too!

[4] Whoa awesomeeee

[5] I'm all fired up!

[6] Pleased to meet you.

[7] Likewise.

[8] Are you okay?


	2. New Friends

Lucy awoke with a start. Her phone was buzzing violently on her bedside table. Groggily she picked it up and read the lovely "Wake up now if you wanna be cute" note she had attached to her repeating alarm. She felt terrible, stomach aching slightly. Maybe she should hit snooze.

But if this alarm was going off, it meant there was school. And her note was right – if she wanted to pick a super cute outfit, she needed to get up now. Gritting her teeth, she slid her finger across the screen to end the buzzing and threw herself upright before she could fall asleep again. The sudden movement sent a jolt of pain through her head. _Lovely. A headache too. But it's only the second day of school – I can't miss already!_

With that, she switched on her lamp. The light stung her eyes. Why did she feel so awful? She looked blankly around the room, trying to remember what happened the night before. _The party. Bora. Natsu too, I think. Why was he there again?_ Bits and pieces floated through her mind, but it was jumbled and fleeting.

She glanced at the clock on her night stand to check the time. It was only 7:00, so still an hour before school. Maybe she should just sleep some more and give up on the outfit. Getting to pick her clothes was cool, but so was sleep. She yawned and started to lay back down when she saw the unfamiliar folded piece of notebook paper next to her clock.

Taking it and pushing herself up again, she unfolded it.

 _Lucy,_

 _The doctor told me you might not remember what happened, so I figured I should leave a note just in case._

 _Bora invited you to his party and you decided to go. After cross country I heard some girls talking about it saying some Salamander guy was hosting, so I knew something was up and rushed over. When I got there a bunch of the girls were drugged up and stuff so I called the cops. I got you out and took you to one of them walk-in clinics. They said Bora probs used roofies, but in a pretty low dose. Said you should be fine by morning, so I took you back to your apartment. I, uh… couldn't find the key in your bag, so I had to break in through your window… sorry about that. If your landlady is mad I'll pay for it._

 _Anyway, hope you're okay. Doc said you'd be fine to take some ibuprofen if you need it. See you around._

 _Natsu_

The jumbled pieces started falling into place. The party, Bora pushing her onto the bed, Natsu nailing him in the face… wait, had his fist been on fire? _Couldn't have been,_ she thought. _Must be the drugs._

Lucy gave a start. Fury started to build up in her. _That dirty little…! He spiked my drink! What the hell?!_

She leapt off the bed, ignoring the pangs in her forehead. _That shallow, evil smooth-talker spiked my drink! After such a great first day of school! AND while I was wearing my favorite dress!_ She stomped into her bathroom and began furiously running a brush through her hair. _Member of the drama club, my foot!_ She practically threw her brush back onto the counter, pulled out a toothbrush, loaded toothpaste onto it and jammed it into her mouth.

"Just wait, Bora!" she snarled through the foamy paste, "I'm going to look so hot today those fangirls of yours might just turn lesbian!"

Natsu lounged on the front steps of the school, eyes glued to his phone. Flamewater Circus had just posted a new behind-the-scenes video and it was loaded with good tricks. As fascinating as it was, however, it wasn't enough to hold his attention when the commotion started down by the sidewalk.

He paused the video and slipped his phone back into his pocket, glancing up to see what the gasps were about. His jaw dropped as the ripple in the crowd broke to reveal Lucy, sauntering up the walk to the school, a sway in her hips and confidence in her stride.

Lucy wore jet-black, skin-tight jeans cuffed just above her tall, beachy wedge heels, a matching, sandy belt clasped at her waist by a large bronze buckle. A tight, white tank, while covering all over her cleavage, hugged every curve in her body and left a slight gap of skin between the hem and her waistband. Over it she wore a light denim-patterned button-up, sleeves folded back perfectly to elbow length. It hung open, swishing against her sides as she strolled toward the door. Rather than a backpack she sported a silver messenger bag, matching her numerous silver bracelets and the long necklace dangling around her neck. Her hair was curled just slightly, hanging free under a floppy black hat. Her dark lipstick contrasted starkly with her pale skin and light hair, making her lips look poofy and plump. Her eyes seemed much more clear, sharp, and bold than they were when Natsu had met her, and he couldn't place why. All in all, it was clear Lucy meant to make a statement, and Natsu thought she was doing a good job of it.

"Yo, Natsu!"

He tore his gaze away from Lucy to find his dark-haired friend, Gray, making his way across the pavement.

"Oi, snow fairy!" he called, smirking, "What took you so long? Get held up by the Rat King?"

Gray rolled his eyes. "I should be the one asking you, flame face. Class starts in three minutes. How long have you been sitting there ogling at that chick?"

Natsu brushed him off, getting to his feet. "I met her yesterday. Just surprised to see her, considering what went down last night."

Gray raised an eyebrow.

"No, not like that!" Natsu groaned. "Jeez, man, get your brain out of the gutter. I pulled her out of that party that got crashed by the cops."

"Whoa, wait, what?" Gray took a turn ogling as Lucy disappeared through the front door. "That happened last night? And she's at school today?"

"Now you see why I was staring."

Gray shook his head slightly, running his fingers through his spikey hair before starting for the door. " _Jaa, iku yo._ _ **[1]**_ "

"Oi, _nihongo de hanasanaide. Wakari nikui yo."_ _ **[2]**_ Natsu replied, hauling his bag over his shoulder.

"Me? Hard to understand?" Gray scoffed, "You should hear your accent."

" _Nihonjin janai no wa ore no sei janai!_ _ **[3]**_ " Natsu growled back.

Gray tossed a glance over his shoulder and kept walking, tiredly calling back, "You're the one who keeps using it, not me. I'm speaking English, pyro."

Natsu grit his teeth and took off running after Gray, shouting, "Yeah and you sound stupid doing it, frost face!"

"At least I sound decent in one of my languages where you sound like an idiot no matter what language you pick!"

"Ice princess!"

"Ash brain!"

Lucy strolled confidently into her first class, forcing the rage she felt to stay far away from her face. Letting her annoyance show would completely undermine the bold, daring, sexy appearance she was going for. Although, if she saw Bora today, there would be no holding back the daggers that would surely shoot from her glare.

"Professor Buchanan?" she asked, approaching the blocky man.

"Ah, what can I do for you today?" he replied, smiling.

The smile softened her fury just a touch, and she smiled back. "My name's Lucy. I was told to remind you about my, ah, situation, before you take roll." Professor Buchanan stared for a moment before realization bloomed on his angular face.

"Ah, yes, Lucy. Melina told me of your request." He smiled even brighter. "I'll be sure to remember. Thank you for the reminder."

She smiled sweetly and took a seat. Soon the rest of the class had trickled in, and Professor Buchanan stood up from his desk.

"Welcome to the first real day of school!" he announced. Several of the class members chuckled. "Since you all got to meet me yesterday, and because I think friendship is more important than math, today I'd like to do some get-to-know-you activities."

Lucy perked up, but a majority of the class groaned.

"Now, now," he continued, "I know most of you have already done more of these than you would prefer and will probably do more, so let me make this simple. When I call your name off the roll, stand up and tell us a bit about yourself. Then, when I've finished the roll, the rest of class is yours to mingle and chat as much as you'd like."

The room was filled with shocked grins, and multiple pairs of people locked eyes gleefully.

"Let's get started, then," he said, picking up a clipboard, "Auriel, Loke."

The boy directly to Lucy's left stood up. He had thick brownish-orange hair that, while not gelled, jutted out in a variety of windswept spikes. He wore an olive-green jacket over an orange t-shirt that dipped low enough to reveal his collarbone – which Lucy couldn't help but note was an attractive look. He had his hands nonchalantly wedged in the front pockets of his black cargo pants, head tilted to the side. His sharp, hazel eyes were veiled by azure-tinted glasses, and his smirk perfectly accentuated his delicate but defined facial features. Lucy let out a small sigh as he tossed his hair to the side, revealing three small studs along his ear and an oh-so-sharp jawline.

 _Snap out of it, Lucy!_ she thought, shaking her head. _Yes, he's attractive, and eye candy is okay sometimes, but what did we learn last night?_

"I'm Loke Auriel," the boy said, voice silky smooth. "I'm a junior, though I'm sure all of you knew that considering this class is for juniors only." Several girls giggled, and he smiled suavely.

"I like poetry, both the reading and the writing of it," he continued, "and I am hoping for the part of either Lysander or Demetrius in Magnolia's fall production of _A Midsummer Night's Dream_. I'm a member of the Fairy Tail Theatre Company and when I'm not on stage, I'm in the sound booth running the lights. Beyond theatrical pursuits, I play guitar and like to write my own songs. My favorite color is green and my ideal date-" a few of the girls gasped, "-is a night stargazing in the forest, where the light pollution is low and the best way to keep warm is curling up under a blanket."

More giggles and coos as Loke took his seat. Lucy rolled her eyes. _This must have been the guy Natsu was looking for when he ran into Bora yesterday. No wonder he confused the two – this guy is an even bigger flirt._

"Nice to meet you, Loke," Professor Buchanan said with a smile. Loke winked and several girls gasped in delight. "Let's see… Bradford, Justina."

The professor worked his way down the list, though so far only Loke had really caught Lucy's attention. That was largely a result of the bubbling fury towards Bora and similar insincere playboys that burned through most of her consciousness. _Oh yeah, he's just like Bora. He's not even trying to pretend to be deep._

"Ah, Lucy," the professor called, interrupting her thought. She stood up and awkwardly faced the majority of the class.

"Hi, I'm Lucy, and I'm brand new to this school," she began confidently. "I really like acting and I actually came here for the theatre program, but I haven't tried out yet. I also really like writing. Math isn't my strong suit." She shrugged sheepishly at Professor Buchanan, who looked mildly amused. "I'm actually working on a novel, but it's nowhere near being ready for anyone to read yet. Um, what else… oh, my favorite color is pink, I'm really into astronomy – the real thing, not that horoscope junk – and I'm learning Japanese."

A couple students let out amazed sounds and she heard a few whispers about astronomy. Professor Buchanan simply smiled and thanked her for the introduction. She sighed in relief as she sat down, glad he had remembered to omit her last name.

"Astronomy, huh?"

She turned to find Loke leaning over his desk toward her, the handsome dial on his smile turned all the way up. She pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow.

"It's rare to find a beautiful woman like yourself with such intellectual tastes," he hummed, careful not to catch the teacher's attention, "I'm a bit of an astronomer myself."

"Yeah?" Lucy said doubtfully, "Is that why your 'ideal date' is stargazing?"

He chuckled. "Partially. But I can imagine it would be much more fun with a girl who already knows the stars."

Rolling her eyes, she replied, "I have no doubt that I know them better than a player like yourself."

"Aw, don't be like that. Maybe this weekend we could go out and see if-"

He cut off abruptly, looking up at her with shock plastered to his face.

"What?" she scoffed.

He gulped. "Y-you're not from K-Konzern Acad-d-demy are you?"

Her annoyance shifted somewhat to confusion. "Yeah, so what?"

He blanched, turning away quickly and pushing his glasses up on his nose. "N-nothing, I just- forget I said anything."

Her annoyance turned to concern as she watched him fidget in his seat through the rest of the introductions. _Maybe I shouldn't go broadcasting that I transferred from Konzern? Natsu didn't seem to care, though. Is it just this guy?_

When the introductions were finished and free time started, Loke gathered up his things and shuffled to the other side of the classroom, averting his gaze. Lucy felt a twinge of hurt, but that too melted into worry when she noticed his hands shaking.

 _Guess there's some history…?_

Her thoughts were interrupted by some of her classmates wanting to chat. She spent the rest of the class talking with new acquaintances. When the bell rang, Loke had bolted out the door before she had even begun to stand up. She shook her head and gathered her things.

Luckily, today she remembered how to get to her Japanese class and made it there with a minute or two to spare. She spotted Natsu towards the back of the room, but she took the opportunity to approach the teacher instead.

"Porlyusica-sensei?"

The slender, pink-haired woman whipped around, mildly annoyed. " _Hai, douzo._ _ **[4]**_ "

"I was told to remind you of my special circumstances," Lucy hesitated, "before you take roll."

"Mmm… _Dare desu ka?_ _ **[5]**_ _"_ Porlyusica inquired.

"Oh! _Sumimasen! Watashi wa Lucy desu._ _ **[6]**_ " She kept forgetting people didn't automatically know her here. It was a surprising challenge that came with growing up an aristocrat.

Porlyusica looked at her a minute longer before a flicker of realization sparked in her eyes. "Ah, Lucy-san. _Oboeteimasu._ _ **[7]**_ It's rather untraditional to call a student by their first name only in Japan, but I suppose this exception is warranted." She gestured to the desks without another word. Lucy gave a quick thank you and sat down next to Natsu.

He didn't seem to notice her arrival as he was glaring across the room. It looked like he was determined to bore a hole right through the skull of a dark-haired, somewhat lanky boy who was glaring back just as intensely. The boy wore a faded navy blue short-sleeved button-up that hung open over a black undershirt and black jeans. Around his neck was a heavy chain bearing a small silver sword. This boy, too, had a defined jaw and attractive facial features. _Is every guy at Magnolia smoking hot?_

Tired of the staring contest, she flicked Natsu on the shoulder.

"Gah, hey!" he shouted. He turned, annoyed before seeing it was her. "Oh, hey Lucy! How are you feeling?"

She smiled. "I feel pretty good, actually. Thanks for pulling me out of there."

"Nah, no problem," he grinned, leaning back in his chair, "Better not talk now, though. Sensei is really picky about people talking during class."

Lucy nodded, noting the bell had just rung. Right on cue, Porlyusica-sensei was up in front beginning her lecture.

" _Minna-san, youkoso!"_ she began, " _Daiichi, roll wo shimasu. 'Hai' to hanashite kudasai._ _ **[8]**_ "

Lucy stretched in her chair as Porlyusica-sensei began. The class was fairly small – maybe twenty people.

"Agria-san!"

"Hai!"

"Blendy-san!"

"Hai!"

"Cheney-san!"

No response to that one. Sensei marked it down on her clipboard.

"Connell-san!"

"Hai!"

"Darrow-san!"

"Hai!"

"Dragneel-san!"

"Hai!" Lucy turned in shock. That had been Natsu.

"Your name is Natsu _Dragneel?_ " she whispered.

"That it is," he grinned smugly, "Dragneel as in Dragon, yes."

Porlyusica-sensei paid them no mind. "Eucliffe-san!"

"Hai!"

"Hea- Lucy-san!"

"Hai!" Lucy squeaked. That had been close.

"Wait, is Lucy your last name?" Natsu whispered, confused. Lucy facepalmed and peeked at him through her fingers, eyebrow raised.

"Jeez, just asking a question," he breathed.

"Justine-san!"

"Hai!"

"Lates-san!"

"Hai!"

"Law-san!" Another no-show.

"McGarden-san!"

"Hai!"

"Mulan-san!"

"Hai!"

"Sarasuke-san! Eh? _Chotto… Sarasuke-san, doushite koko ni irundesu ka?_ _ **[9]**_ _"_

The presumed Sarusuke-san glumly dropped his head to his desk and replied, "I failed the final again so I can't take third year."

Porlyusica-sensei marked him present with a tsk-tsk. "Tearm-san!"

"Hai!"

"Vanderwood-san!"

"Hai!"

That finished the roll, and she continued, "Now, I will introduce this semester's tutors. Please be nice to them – they are here to help you practice. _Fullbuster-san, douzo._ _ **[10]**_ "

To Lucy's surprise, the dark-haired boy Natsu had been stabbing with his glare stepped to the front of the class.

" _Hajimemashite. Ore wa Gray Fullbuster desu._ _ **[11]**_ " Lucy was thoroughly shocked at the smoothness of his voice and the ease with which he spoke. He seemed to carry no accent at all.

In Japanese, he continued, "I was born in Fiore, but I grew up in Yokohama, Japan. Japanese is my native language, but I speak English too." He switched to English, smiling and shooting a smug look at Natsu. "I moved here in seventh grade and have been a tutor since freshman year. I like hockey and carpentry, and I'm a part of the drama club. _Yoroshiku onegaishimasu._ _ **[12]**_ "

Lucy was still surprised, forgetting to utter the traditional response with the rest of the class. _So he's from Japan. I wouldn't have guessed._

Gray bowed and took his seat. Natsu glowered at him, crossing his arms.

Porlyusica chimed in, " _Lockser-san, douzo._ "

From the desk in the front corner rose a curvy, almond-eyed girl dressed head to toe in various shades of blue. Lucy couldn't help but wonder if the girl was hot in this weather, as some of her layers looked like fur. Her hair was thick and wavy, and the deep blue color added to the waterfall effect over her slim shoulders. As she turned nervously to face the class, Lucy saw a large yellow butterfly clip pinned to her dark Russian-styled hat.

" _Ano…_ " she mumbled, looking down, " _Hajimemashite. Juvia Lockser desu. Shusshin wa Kyoto desu._ _ **[13]**_ " She fiddled with her fingers before continuing in strained English. "Juvia doesn't speak English very well. _Demo, Juvia wa gambarimasu! Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!_ _ **[14]**_ "

Juvia scurried to her seat as the class repeated _yoroshiku onegaishimasu_. Lucy couldn't help but smile at the girl. She had probably just moved to Fiore and likely didn't have many friends yet. _Birds of a feather…_

The rest of the class was spent reviewing some basic vocabulary and grammar, most of which Lucy had no trouble with. She was glad to know that the Japanese classes here moved at about the same pace the ones at Konzern had. She was amused to find, however, that Natsu had a terrible time speaking in polite form and nearly always got his conjugations wrong.

"I don't get why I have to know two different forms," he grumbled. "If you're a person, I'm going to talk to you like a person. Why does it matter if I use plain form all the time?"

"Because," Gray growled, "sometimes even numbskulls like you need to make a good impression. You'll piss off Porlyusica-sensei if you go acting all familiar around her."

"She's never cared before!"

"She has you're just socially incompetent!"

"Frost face!"

"Ass flame!"

Lucy's next class came much too soon for her liking. Despite Natsu and Gray's incessant bickering, Japanese had been lots of fun. Plus, she had really wanted to talk to Natsu about the night before. She couldn't believe a near-total stranger had suddenly come to her rescue. She had no idea what she wanted to say, but she wanted to say something more than "Oh thanks for that."

Luckily, though, her history class was good fun too.

She had finished reminding Mr. Neville of her particular circumstances and plopped down in a seat near the windows when she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

" _Ano… Lucy-san desu ka?_ _ **[15]**_ _"_

It was a small, vaguely familiar girl with ruffled blue hair tucked behind an orangey-yellow headband sporting a hibiscus-patterned creamsicle-colored sundress. Judging by the Japanese inquiry, Lucy guessed she was probably in her last class.

" _Hai, sou desu. O-namae wa…?_ _ **[16]**_ "

The girl smiled and swapped back to English. "I'm Levy, Levy McGarden. I saw you in Japanese a few seats behind me. It's nice to meet you!"

"It's nice to meet you too!" Lucy returned the smile. _Alright, finally making friends with some women. I swear there are way too many guys at this school._

"So… you're a writer?" she asked.

Lucy looked at her quizzically and Levy pointed to her notebook. Lucy blushed as she realized it said "Drabbles and Drafts" in pink calligraphy on the front.

"Oh, yeah, um, a bit," she replied sheepishly.

"Me too," she giggled. "Well, sort of. I try, but I feel like I'm better at the reading than the writing."

"Oh, I'm sure you're better than you think," Lucy offered.

Levy blushed and looked away, rubbing the back of her head. "M-maybe you could proofread one of my shorts?"

Lucy blinked, a smile spreading across her face. She could definitely get along with this girl. She nodded enthusiastically, and Levy squealed in delight.

Just then, Mr. Neville started his lecture and their conversation was cut short. As the lecture went on, Lucy felt a paper slide up next to her arm from behind. It was a note card that had a number scrawled on it with "tomodachi ni narou![17]" penciled in cute hiragana underneath. She couldn't help but smile over her shoulder at Levy and nod enthusiastically. Hiding her phone beneath her desk she punched in the new number, added Levy's name, and texted her a quick "yorokonde![18]"

There was a loud ding and Levy squeaked. Mr. Neville halted his lecture and gave her a hard look.

"S-sorry!" she stammered, pulling out her phone and frantically turning down the sound.

He sighed. "Just the first day and the plague is already among us…"

Lucy glanced apologetically at Levy's tomato-red face. She waved her off, sinking into her seat.

Mr. Neville's lecture was dull and unimportant. He was mostly talking about himself, turning what he claimed was going to be a short introduction into a rambling mess of actuallys and half-finished ideas. She decided to fill the time with texting her newfound friend – whose notification sound was now turned off. They exchanged sarcastic comments about the lecture and made terrible puns, giggling profusely behind their hands. Levy was witty and quick to the punch, typing out eloquent satires of the teacher's lecture as if she'd been thinking about it for days.

" _Actually,"_ one text read, "it wasn't until my great grandfather _actually_ passed away that I _actually_ became interested in history, _actually_. _Actually_ it was then that I _actually_ realized I don't _actually_ have any idea what the word _actually actually_ means, which is _actually_ sad because he was _actually_ an author, _actually_ , and I _actually_ disappoint him _actually_ every day with how little I _actually_ know about _actually_ speaking English, _actually_."

Lucy almost cried as she replied, " _Actually,_ he's not _actually_ so bad, _actually._ He _actually_ knows how to _actually_ spell the word _actually, actually._ " Levy choked on her laugh. Mr. Neville had just written " _Don't forget tonight's reading, actually"_ on the board.

"Class dismissed, actually," he said as the bell rang. Levy and Lucy gathered up their things as they shook with giggles. Once outside the door, they burst out laughing.

"That was so fun!" Levy squealed.

" _Actually_ ," Lucy giggled, "it was the most fun I've _actually_ had all day."

Levy laughed again, then lit up with a great idea. "Lucy, you should come sit with me and my friends at lunch!"

Lucy's smile dropped a bit. "I was planning on sitting with Natsu…" she mumbled.

"Oh, perfect!" she chimed. Lucy blinked in surprise. "He sits at the same table! I didn't know you guys knew each other."

Lucy's smile perked back up and she slyly replied, " _Actually,_ I just met him yesterday."

Levy snickered at the joke, but inquired more seriously, "We're not pulling you away from your other friends, are we?"

"Actually- whoops, I used it seriously this time – I just transferred to Magnolia this year."

Levy gasped. "What? You're new? I never would have guessed you fit in so perfectly already!"

Lucy laughed out loud at that. If this daring look she had pulled together today was "fitting in perfectly", she knew now for sure that this was the right school.

They parted ways happily, promising more texts and exchanges of manuscripts. Levy was a breath of fresh air in a school seemingly filled to the brim with hyperactive, overly-attractive boys. That hyperactivity was particularly apparent in her next class. She discovered that not only did she have gym with Natsu, but also with Gray, and the more open atmosphere quickly transformed their insult duels into all out brawls. They weren't the only idiots who ran amuck either. Another Asian-looking boy with white hair was intermittently sliding into the brawl to quickly trip Gray before scampering off, and two of the guys from her Japanese class were trying (and failing horribly) to land a hit on a particularly scary-looking metalhead. The most annoying was the beefy kid who punched at everything shouting "OTOKO DA![19]" at the top of his lungs. She had no idea what they were supposed to be doing, and it seemed Coach Coco didn't either.

After class she left the locker room in a huff. Part of her admitted the chaos was somewhat amusing, but even with meeting Levy her fury at what Bora had done wasn't far away. She hadn't seen him at all today, and she hadn't gotten to properly talk to Natsu, _and_ she still had to get that signature from Director Dreyar. At least now it was lunch. Perhaps after she ate, she could track down Gray or maybe that Loke kid and have them take her to the right classroom.

Natsu sprinted out of the locker room, whacking Elfman on the back of the head and laughing as the burly teen shouted, " _Otoko janee yo!_ _ **[20]**_ " after him. He shoved the doors open gleefully and grinned as he saw what he was looking for.

"Yo! Luce!" he called. She turned her head and what had been an irritated scowl melted into a pleasant smile. She gave a slight wave as he caught up with her and fell into stride.

"You're gonna sit with me at lunch again today, right?" His blood was still pumping from the intense brawl he'd had with Gray and it made it very difficult to hide his enthusiasm. Then again, why should he hide it? Lucy was as badass as you could get, and he was ecstatic that he'd managed to befriend her before any of the other trashy cliques could hog her attention. _She'd make an excellent sparring partner, or workout buddy, or sound booth assistant, or-_

"That was the plan!" she chimed, cutting off his train of thought. "Levy sits at your table too, right?"

"Oh you met Levy?" he laughed, "Yeah she's there too. Don't plan on sitting next to her though – Jet and Droy _always_ sit by her."

"Well that's too bad for them – I'm claiming newbie privileges. I'm going to sit right between you and Levy and they'll just have to deal with it."

Natsu gazed at her in awe and amusement as they made their way to the cafeteria. She noticed his look as they got into the lunch line.

"What?" she said, irritated.

Natsu shook his head. "You're weird."

Her mouth dropped open and she shoved his arm. "Am not!"

"Sure are!" he chuckled. "I mean most girls would stay home for a week after what went down last night, but here you are, at school, spunky and fiery and spewing all sorts of weird ideas."

She shrugged, furrowing her brow. "Well how else was I supposed to get back at that jerk for spiking my drink? I had to come to school! I have to rub his nose in it!"

"Too bad he's locked up at the police station," Natsu grinned proudly.

"What?!" she shouted. The freshman in front of her gave a start.

"Jeez, Luce," Natsu laughed, "Didn't you read the note I left? I called the cops the second I got there. I'm flattered you think I could take down a whole house full of perverts, but that fake Salamander and his cronies aren't coming back to school any time soon."

Lucy got really quiet as she picked up her tray, and Natsu wondered if he said something wrong before he heard her small voice.

"Thank you, Natsu," she said softly, "for getting me out of there."

The gratitude her voice exuded wasn't lost on him. The light smile, the glance at his eyes… how scared she had been, and how relieved she was now, came through clearly. A familiar feeling bubbled up in his chest – a sort of mix of protectiveness, chivalry, and care.

"You're welcome, Luce," he said back, offering a gentle smile. He hoped it communicated that he knew all she was trying to convey. Then he perked up and nudged her elbow with his own. "Besides, I couldn't let some twisted sicko ruin the good name of Salamander!"

Lucy chuckled as she began picking fruit cups out of the bins that sat on the counter. He frowned as she took one of each.

"Whatcha doin?" he puzzled.

"Hm?"

He gestured to her tray. "There's no way you can eat all of that."

She tsked at him and gave him a sly smile, motioning to the lunch lady that she'd take the salad instead of the chicken fried steak. He returned a quizzical look, holding out his tray for a scoop of potatoes on top of his hunk of meat. When they'd gotten out of the line, she spoke.

"Natsu, you know you shouldn't talk about the cafeteria black market in front of the lunch ladies!"

His confusion slowly turned into a grin as she giggled profusely.

"You mean…?"

"Just show me where you sit, dummy," she jested. He quickly obliged, leading her across the room to a table near the exterior doors. _This girl is awesome!_

"Lu-chan!" Levy waved at them, quickly shoving Jet out of his seat with a thud.

"Hey!" he whined. Droy sniggered from his seat on the other side of Levy. Natsu helped Jet get up off the floor, giving him a smug grin.

"I told you before you sat down that I was saving this seat!" she said, exasperated. "Now she's here, so shoo!"

Jet mumbled, walking around to sit across from Levy as Lucy took the seat. Natsu plopped down next to her, clattering his tray on the tabletop.

Lucy looked around the table at all the empty chairs. "Is it just you four usually?"

"Oh, no," Levy giggled, "We're just the first ones here today. There's a bunch more of us."

"OI! ASH-FOR-BRAINS!"

 _There he is._ Lucy jumped at the exclamation, making Natsu snicker internally. On the outside, however, he put on his best look of apathy and slung his gaze over his shoulder.

"What, snow queen? I already built a snowman with you today."

Gray slammed his lunch onto the table and dropped into his seat before smacking Natsu on the back of the head. "We've already had two classes with this gal and you still haven't introduced us!"

"Aww why do I have to introduce you?" Natsu whined, smirking, "You _can_ speak English, can't you?"

Lucy giggled and reached a hand behind him towards Gray. "I'm Lucy. _Yoroshiku ne._ _ **[21]**_ "

Gray took her hand and shook. "Nice to meet you, too." He shot a self-satisfied look at Natsu, who rolled his eyes. _Oh look, the snowflake can speak!_

Jet perked up at the introduction, pushing up the sleeve of his purple button-up as he leaned across the table. "Lucy-san, na? You're in Japanese with us, right?" He also stuck out a hand. "Jet Sarasuke."

"And I'm Droy Darrow!" Droy chimed in from behind Levy, accidentally spilling gravy on his mustard-yellow T-shirt. Natsu sniggered as he tried to scoop up the smear with his free hand, rubbing the creamy sauce deeper into the fabric.

"You should be more careful, Droy. Spilling like that makes us look sloppy." A scarlet-haired senior wearing a silver blouse took the seat across from Natsu. "Erza, Erza Scarlet. _Douzo yoroshiku._ _ **[22]**_ "

"Er-za?" Lucy said tentatively, checking that she said it right.

" _Ehr-za_ ," Erza replied. "Like the first part of 'error'." _She's an error,_ Natsu thought. Erza glanced at him suddenly, and chills pricked down his spine. "It's okay, even Jellal got it wrong."

"Who is this Jellal you speak of?" a blue-haired boy bearing an intricate scarlet tattoo over his right eye said, taking a seat next to Erza. _Ah, the man himself._

" _You_ , ya prick." A wavy-haired brunette took the seat across from Droy. She took a swig of an energy drink and slapped it on the table before looking to Lucy. "Cana Alberona. You're Lucy? Nice boobs."

Natsu laughed out loud as Lucy's face turned a shade to rival his hair.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jellal cut in indignantly, "I am the sage Mystogan." Lucy looked thoroughly confused when a white-haired beauty took the seat next to him. Natsu grinned widely as the voluptuous senior joined the table.

"Don't mind Jellal, sweetie," she said, smiling brightly at Lucy, "I'm Mirajane, and this goofball is a method actor."

"A what?"

"A method actor," Levy piped up, "They're actors who completely embrace their roles so they can give a top-notch performance."

"And Jellal's the best," Erza stated, a smile twitching at her lips. Jellal gave her a glare. "Mystogan! I meant Mystogan."

"Yeah he is," a gruff voice said, " _Totemo otoko da!_ _ **[23]**_ "

Natsu looked over his shoulder to see the burly white-haired boy approaching the table, followed by dark-haired poncho-clad Alzack. Elfman took a seat next to Gray and Alzack plopped down next to Droy. Lucy smiled up at Elfman and introduced herself, him returning her handshake with a crushing grip. Alzack was too distracted by the approaching green-haired cowgirl to notice Lucy's extended hand.

"Oooh AlBisssss I ship it!" Mirajane squealed. Natsu rolled his eyes and Lucy retracted her hand with a smirk.

Bisca blushed as she slid in next to Alzack. Lucy, satisfied with their introductions, began to move food from her tray to Natsu's.

"Awww yus!" Natsu shouted, ruffling her hat. "Thanks Luce!"

"Oi oi what the heck?" Gray demanded. "Don't give that fiery mouth breather extra, he'll just ruin it with that damned tabasco!"

"Not like there's much to be ruined…" Cana scoffed, picking at the pasta in her lunch box. "Wouldn't eat that if they paid me."

Natsu ignored the commentary and proceeded to whip a bottle of tabasco out of the pocket of his hoodie and slather it on his chicken fried steak. He never left home without the stuff. He'd have preferred to carry ghost peppers with him, of course, but they weren't nearly as practical as a bottle of ready-made pour-it-out-on-anything tabasco. Gray moaned and pinched his nose shut.

"Wow, Natsu," Lucy commented, "I didn't take you for the spicy type."

Several people at the table snickered, including himself. Lucy didn't seem to notice.

"Eh? _Matte…_ _ **[24]**_ " Natsu mumbled, mouth full of his favorite spicy goodness, " _Loke wa doko?_ _ **[25]**_ " He twisted around, searching the room. He spotted his ginger friend just leaving the line and waved to him enthusiastically. Loke started to wave but dropped his hand and his smile suddenly. _Huh?_ Natsu watched in confusion as Loke made his way around the table, heading for the seat across from Bisca. Two sophomores from the next clique over took the two empty seats instead, leaving one seat – the one Natsu had expected him to go for – right across from Lucy. Loke stopped nervously, glancing around, before hesitantly taking the open seat.

"Loke?" Natsu puzzled, " _Doushitanda?_ _ **[26]**_ _"_

Loke flinched, not looking up. " _Nandemo nai._ _ **[27]**_ _"_

Natsu glanced around the table. Lucy was chatting happily with Levy, Jet and Droy not taking their eyes off the bluenette. Jellal had better fallen into character as he ate his lunch in near silence while Mirajane and Elfman talked. Gray and Erza had started some conversation in Japanese that Natsu only caught pieces of. Cana complained loudly about some rule or another to a distracted Bisca and Alzack. Everything seemed pretty normal. It was this point where Loke usually would have started flirting with somebody. Instead, he ate in tense quiet and didn't look up from his tray. _Wonder what's up. But now doesn't seem the time – probs should just leave him be._

Natsu noticed Gray had left his lunch fairly unattended, and inspiration hit him like a brick to the head – sudden, forceful, and leaving an evil grin growing on his face like a nasty bruise.

"GAHH SON OF A-!"

The shout startled Lucy, bringing her conversation to a halt as she whipped her head around. Gray jumped up from the table as he shouted, sending his chair clattering backwards. Natsu laughed hysterically as Gray pawed at his tongue, eyes watering.

"You slanty-eyed fire ant! You ruined my strawberries!"

"Served you right!" Natsu wheezed, slapping his knee.

"For what?!" Gray yelled back.

"I dunno, for being stupid and having droopy eyes!"

Lucy initially laughed at the situation; the chaos was kinda fun sometimes, and it was a welcome distraction from the awkwardness emanating from the boy in front of her. Then Erza spoke up.

"You two better start behaving yourselves," she hissed, "or neither of you will taste anything for a week."

Both Natsu and Gray blanched, sitting down with an "aye sir!"

Lucy barely held in a chuckle. Her new-found friends were completely nuts, and she loved it. She could get used to these rambunctious weirdos. But lunch was half over and she still had things to do, so she shoved the last bite of her salad into her mouth and went to stand.

"Well," she said, addressing the whole table, "You guys are a lot of fun, but I've got some things to do." She glanced at Gray's tray and found it was still mostly full of food. _Probs should find someone else to take me to Director Dreyar._ She looked at Loke, who must have become a stone statue based on how still he was. _That won't work either._ _Maybe Jellal…?_ As soon as the thought had entered it was gone again – Jellal was just a bit too creepy right now, and he might not even be a part of the school theatre troupe – he could be an independent actor. She sighed and continued her thought. "Does anyone know where I can find a member of the drama club?"

The whole table went silent, looking at her in shock, before bursting into raucous laughter.

"What?" she said, furrowing her brow. _Did I say something?_

"Lucy," Natsu chuckled, clapping a hand on her back, "we're _all_ members of the drama club."

The group continued laughing as her mouth dropped open.

"Did I not mention that, Lu-chan?" Levy giggled furiously.

"N-no, you didn't," Lucy stammered.

"Well now you know," Cana declared. "Should have said when I first introduced myself." She extended a hand again. "Cana Alberona, resident specialist in _drunk_ _characters_."

The widening of Lucy's eyes further triggered another round of laughter at the table.

"W-what do to the rest of you do?" Lucy asked, blushing.

"I like writing scripts," Levy sang, "but I can act a little too."

"Jet and I specialize in stage fights," Droy grinned, running a hand over his slick, dark hair.

"Me and Bisca build prop guns!" Alzack put in, glancing at a blushing Bisca.

"I don't act much anymore," Mirajane hummed, "I do more directing, but when I'm on stage I specialize in villains."

"Oh yeah," Natsu noted through a mouth full of mashed potatoes, "didn't they call you the She-Devil?"

"Still do!" Elfman proudly proclaimed. " _Sore wa otoko da!_ _ **[28]**_ "

Mira smiled sweetly. "I still think your anthros acting is better, Elfman."

"Anthros acting?" Lucy asked.

"He plays animals or characters that are part animal," Natsu explained, "Much cooler than ice freak over here, just building sets and playing shirtless guys."

"Hey!" Gray shouted, starting to get up.

"Gray, Natsu," Erza said calmly. They both blanched again and sat down.

"So what do you do, Erza?" Lucy inquired. Erza had just placed a large strawberry in her mouth, so it was Jellal who spoke.

"She does lots of costume work," he beamed, "but working with her on stage is great. She's really good, and I've never seen anybody do a quick-change as fast as she can."

"Oh wow, that's really cool!" Lucy grinned. Erza's cheeks turned a light pink.

She glanced around the table, absorbing the new perspective of her friends before realizing something.

"Wait, Natsu, what do you do?"

"Me?" Natsu swallowed his bite of pear before giving her a huge, mischievous grin. "Pyrotechnics."

Lucy's jaw hit the floor. "Wait, _what?_ "

"Well yeah, that's why my handle is Salamander."

All the chatter she'd overheard yesterday came crashing into her. _Fire tricks, special effects, pyrotechnics, tabasco…_ She tried to picture the pinkette doing some of the rumored stunts, and to her surprise, she had no trouble.

" _You're_ Salamander?" she breathed.

Natsu frowned. "Is that hard to believe? That's how I knew that party was no good – the faker was tarnishing my name. I thought I told you that."

Lucy's heart pounded as things started to click into place. "So you punching him in the face with a fireball wasn't the drugs?!"

The table burst into laughter again.

"You went all flameo at the party?" Gray howled, clutching his stomach as he laughed.

"Just to intimidate," Natsu said bluntly, "It's not like the fire actually does much."

Lucy smacked his arm. "You should have said something sooner! The only reason I went to that party was because I thought he was you!"

Natsu rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and mumbled a "sorry".

"What do you need a drama club member for, Lu-chan?" Levy asked, wiping a tear from her smiling eyes.

Lucy crossed her arms over her chest, grumbling to Levy but still looking at Natsu. "I transferred here to do theatre, since they didn't have it at my old school. I need someone to introduce me to Director Dreyar so I can get his signature for my schedule change. Too bad _someone_ didn't speak up after I blathered to them about my thespionage yesterday."

"Oi oi I was eating then!" Natsu countered through a mouth full of tabasco-covered broccoli.

"That doesn't seem to be stopping you now," Gray put in, taking a bite of his mashed potatoes. Natsu smacked him lightly.

"It's a bit late to go to his office now," Levy said thoughtfully, "but I'm sure one of us could find you after 6th hour and bring you with. What class do you have then?"

" _Oretachi no eigo no kurasu da._ _ **[29]**_ _"_ Natsu piped up, "with Mr. Melon."

Levy let out a shriek of joy that made Loke fall out of his seat. "We have the same _English_ class?! Oh Lu-chan this is going to be so fun!"

With that, Lucy's rage against Bora was gone. So many things had gone gloriously right since waking up this morning. She'd made new friends, she'd remembered where all of her classes were – she'd even had a lot of fun. With a life like this, Bora just didn't seem to matter anymore.

After the bell rang and everyone left for class, she discovered that Cana, Mirajane, and Erza were also in her Physics class right after lunch. That class hour had been amazing. Mira was as sweet as honey and Erza carried an older-sister sort of warmth. Cana was incredibly crass, but the three of them were kind and fun and absolutely what Lucy was looking for in her new life away from the estate. They exuded genuineness, and it was refreshing.

In her next period she found that, in addition to Natsu and Levy, she shared English with Jet, Droy, and Loke. That hour was just as rambunctious and fun as her morning classes had been. To her surprise – and relief – her anxiety about running from home had shrunk down to a trickle. The chaos was startlingly unpredictable, true, but the honesty of it all – Jet and Droy's open argument over Levy's affections, Natsu's childish paper airplane crafting, Levy's bubbly excitement over the subject at hand… This was only the second day and already she felt like she belonged.

The bell rang and Natsu sprang from his seat, hastily slinging his bag over his shoulder and rushing to Lucy's desk. Before she'd even begun to put away her things he threw her messenger bag over his other shoulder, grabbed her notebook and her hand, and sprinted out the door.

"N-Natsu!" Lucy shouted, stumbling as his strong grip pulled her down the hall. "What are you-?"

" _Oretachi no kurabu wo hairitaindarou?_ _ **[30]**_ _"_ he said with a grin. Lucy's eyes met his in the midst of the chaotic hallway. Time seemed to slow and joy welled up in her chest. She had only known this boy for two days, but the look in his eyes – as simple and happy as it was – told her she might as well be family.

She nodded, gripping his hand in return. What he said next reverberated familiarity through her heart.

" _Kouyou!_ _ **[31]**_ "

* * *

[1] Well, let's go.

[2] Don't speak in Japanese, it's hard to understand you.

[3] It's not my fault I'm not from Japan!

[4] Yes, go ahead.

[5] Who are you?

[6] Sorry! I'm Lucy.

[7] I remember.

[8] Everyone, welcome! First, I will take roll. Please say 'hai'.

[9] Wait, Sarusuke-san, why are you here?

[10] Mr. Fullbuster, go ahead.

[11] ~Nice to meet you.~ I'm Gray Fullbuster.

[12] ~Please accept my regards.~

[13] Um… ~Nice to meet you.~ I'm Juvia Lockser. My hometown is Kyoto.

[14] But, Juvia will do her best! ~Please accept my regards!~

[15] Um… are you Lucy?

[16] Yes, I am. Your name is…?

[17] Let's be friends!

[18] ~I'd love to!~

[19] MAN!

[20] That is not man!

[21] Nice to meet you!

[22] Nice to meet you.

[23] Very man!

[24] Wait…

[25] Where's Loke?

[26] What's wrong?

[27] It's nothing.

[28] It's man!

[29] She's got our English class.

[30] You want to join our club, don't you?"

[31] ~Come on!~


	3. Fairy Tail Theatre

**Hey y'all. Not dead. New semester started and I needed to find a rhythm. Plus this chapter was really hard. Anyway. Expect new chapters bi-weekly at least from now on.**

 **Also. #theanimeisback #incaseyoudidntknow**

* * *

Lucy felt like her arm was going to come clean out of her shoulder socket if Natsu tried to run any faster. She silently cursed the heels she was sporting. The pinkette, though visibly ecstatic, couldn't possibly be charging through the halls just because excited… could he?

Almost in answer to her question, Erza violently crashed through a nearby door whilst hastily tying her bangs up with a leopard print headband. Upperclassmen habitually jumped out of the way while unfortunate freshmen were steamrollered by the scarlet senior as she dashed down the hall. Natsu tightened his grip on her hand and urged her forward.

"C'mon Lucy we've only got four minutes left!" he shouted.

"Wha-?" Lucy began.

"Don't talk just run!"

"But you just-"

"Gahhh 3:50 come ON!"

He tugged at her arm harder just as Jet whizzed past in a blur, carrying what looked to be a very startled Levy. A cry of "I won't let you be late I swear it!" echoed through the hall above the yelps of sophomores as they dove out of the way. Droy could be heard shouting unintelligibly behind them. Natsu instantly let go of Lucy's hand scooped her into a princess carry.

"N-Natsu!" she shrieked, "Put me down put me down!"

"Agh that's my ear!" he cringed. "And no! I was late yesterday because you didn't wake me up! No way in hell am I gonna be late today!"

Lucy shrieked again and clung to his shoulders as he vaulted over a student crouched at their locker. To Lucy's surprise, despite carrying both of their bags, her, and her notebook in his hand, Natsu only got faster. Did her heels really slow them down that much? His shoulders were taut beneath his red hoodie, and his arms were steady and secure under her weight. A thought crossed her mind and her breath hitched.

"What?" Natsu said, rounding a corner.

" _Nandemo nai!_ _ **[1]**_ _"_ Lucy squeaked. She looked away hoping desperately he hadn't noticed her blush.

Natsu kicked open a door and rushed into the blinding sunlight. Lucy cringed and blinked as she realized they had just left the building and were now on the far side of the school. She noticed a dozen other students sprinting for the crosswalk, and suddenly realized why Natsu had nearly torn her arm off.

"Wait, the theatre department _isn't in the school?_ "

Natsu laughed. "Do you really think we'd use this school's crappy auditorium? Nah, all the drama classes are in the company building." He adjusted his grip and Lucy squeaked again.

"P-p-put m down!" she shrieked, slapping him across the face. He tripped and dropped her in the grass.

"Owww what was that for?" he grumbled, rubbing the red mark on his cheek.

Lucy covered her chest protectively with her arms, fuming and glaring. Natsu looked her up and down, and slowly realization bloomed on his face.

"Gahhh oh my god Lucy I swear I was not-" he stammered, jumping to his feet.

"Sure you weren't!" she shouted, "Just like Bora wasn't trying to-"

"Oi don't compare me to that second-rate faker!" he yelled back.

"If he's second-rate then what kind of pervert are you?!"

"Lucy I swear I wasn't trying to cop a feel that was an accident!"

A smile started to grow on her face. These arguments were kind of fun; she could see why Gray and Natsu kept them up.

Natsu looked at his watched and groaned. "Gah we've only got a minute left we've gotta move!"

Without warning he scooped her up again, this time slinging her over his shoulder. She shouted in protest as he sprinted to the crosswalk, beating on his backpack weakly as he ran. He bounded across the street and skidded on the concrete as he turned onto the patio of the large building next to the school.

Lucy awkwardly tried to look over her shoulder to see where they were going. The building was obviously a theatre, though an odd one. The architecture looked to be some combination of a pagoda and a castle, boasting multiple floors, spires, and a large medieval portcullis that couldn't _possibly_ be real. Atop it sat a large, open bell tower. What gave it away as a theatre, though, was the long red carpet extending from the ornate doors beneath a large diagonal theatre screen that read "Anima Extalia: Final Performance Tonight!" Above the screen was an ornate sign that read "Fairy Tail" in bold, with "Theatre Company" written smaller underneath. From a ledge on the third floor hung a large, crimson banner with a fairy insignia embroidered on it in white and gold.

Lucy only had a moment to take in the grandiose building before she was hurtling through the doors past the ticket booths and into the primary theatre. Natsu came to an abrupt halt, dropped her on the floor and promptly collapsed into a velvet seat before a faint _ding, ding, ding_ echoed through the room.

"Yosh!" he said, panting and holding up a fist of victory. "Just made it!"

"Did you have to drop me in the aisle, though?" Lucy grumbled, rubbing her rump.

"Psh, you're fine," he chuckled. She rolled her eyes.

"If you guys have class out here why doesn't Director Dreyar give you more time to get here?" she snapped.

"Cuz we don't need it. We're Fairy Tail." He replied as though it was obvious. Lucy raised an eyebrow and shook her head.

The theatre was huge, holding several hundred velvet seats. The stage itself was framed with beautiful red curtains and ornate carvings of mythical creatures. Despite having a very classical atmosphere, Lucy could see the evidence of special effects equipment rigged through the edge of the stage and along the walls of the house.

"Gather 'round, brats!" a short, old man shouted from the edge of the stage. He wore a garish blue and orange hat over a mostly bald head and a matching jacket over a white shirt. His thick white mustache twitched as he waved over his students with a thick stack of papers. _That's Director Dreyar?_

"C'mon, Luce!" Natsu said as he miraculously regained his energy and bounded down the aisle. Lucy furrowed her brow as she followed. _This guy isn't at all what I expected. He runs the whole company?_

They merged into the crowd of gathering students. Lucy caught a glimpse of orangey hair and azure glasses in front of her. Her skin prickled uncomfortably.

"Now then!" Director Dreyar began, "After our reading of the script yesterday, I've come up with the cast list!" Several students cheered, Natsu among them. Lucy was a little disappointed at missing the initial read-through, but she knew the plot well – as a closet thespian she had read it a hundred times. The Shakespearean comedy featured four interweaving storylines: the quarrel between the fairy king Oberon and his queen Titania, the marriage of Theseus to the amazon Hippolyta, the frustrations of two sets of star-crossed lovers, and the horrible production of a play for Theseus' wedding festival by inept commoners. All of the storylines end up intersecting because of a mischievous fairy prankster, and hilarity ensues.

The director continued, "If there are any issues, let me know now so I can take care of it before we get started. First up, our Duke of Athens Theseus will be played by Elfman Strauss!"

" _OTOKO DA!_ " Elfman shouted as his sister and friends clapped.

"Wait, Natsu," Lucy questioned, "The director just reads off the list? He doesn't post it instead?"

It was Levy who answered her, coming up from behind. "He posts it later, but he's found out that a lot of the time people don't read the list carefully enough and there ends up being problems." Natsu nodded in agreement.

Lucy tilted her head. "Problems? Like what?"

"Like, misreading your casting or having a double casting as a minor character," Levy said thoughtfully, "or not reading it at all."

The look of shock on Lucy's face made Levy giggle.

"For our Hippolyta," Director Dreyar continued, "we'll have Cana Alberona!"

Cana immediately lunged toward Elfman and planted a huge wet kiss on his lips.

"MRTRKRDR!" Elfman yelled through her lips, eyes wide with shock.

"Cana, settle down," the director chided, "There's only one kiss scene, you don't need to practice now."

"Aww, but gramps," Cana whined, keeping her arms draped over Elfman's tense shoulders, "It's _so_ much fun."

"If I said I agreed with you I'd lose my job…" the director muttered. He shook his head and continued. "Egeus will be played by Nab Lasaro!"

A hand shot up. "But Director is that really the right role for me? One that only _I_ can do?"

"Shut up and take the job!" Director Dreyar barked. Nab's hand dropped disappointedly. "For our first set of lovers, Hermia will be Bisca Mulan and Lysander will be Alzack Connell!"

Both Bisca and Alzack blushed fiercely. The crowd whooped and whistled as Mirajane shouted, "MY SHIP! IT'S SAILING!"

"In the second set of lovers, our Demetrius will be played by Loke Auriel, and-" The director was cut off by the squeals of several girls as Loke flipped his hair. Lucy could have sworn he glanced at her in the process.

Irritated, the director continued, "and our Helena will be played by Evergreen Brown!" Loke took a step toward a green-haired, voluptuous beauty, obviously intending to make some gentlemanly gesture, but was brushed off with a whine of "But I wanted to be Titania!"

"For our play-within-a-play, we have Freed Justine as Philostrate, Warren Rocko as Peter Quince, Marcas Bickslow as Nick Bottom, Jet Sarasuke as Francis Flute, Droy Darrow as Tom Snout, Max Alors as Snug, and Vijeeter Ecor as Robin Starveling!" Lucy saw Jet and Droy high five and a spindly boy do an extravagant pirouette.

"Now," the director said, pausing dramatically, "for our fairies." The crowd immediately went silent and the air got tense. "Oberon, King of the Fairies, will be played by…" Director Dreyar seemed to be relishing torturing his students. With a smirk, he finally announced, "Jellal Fernandez!"

The class cheered. Lucy looked around to find the blue-haired senior, who was being clapped on the back by several other boys. His mouth hung open just a touch, smirk tugging at his lips. _Barely holding on to that method acting now, huh?_ Lucy smiled to herself. _Congrats!_

"Congratulations," the director mused. "Now, Queen of the Fairies Titania…" Once again the room seized up and all eyes were glued to the tiny old man. "Erza Scarlet!"

"YOSH!" Natsu bellowed as the class erupted again. "THAT'S HOW S CLASS WIZARDS DO IT!" Erza stood not far in front of them, tossing her hair back as though uninterested, but excitement glinted in her eyes.

Lucy laughed at the sight. "That's funny," she commented to Levy, "I didn't take Erza for the gaming type."

"Huh?" Levy puzzled. "Gaming?"

Lucy nodded. "Natsu just called her an S Class Wizard. That's like a Dungeons and Dragons thing, isn't it?"

Levy stared at her before realizing what she was saying. "Oh no that's just what we call people who have been student directors before. Erza directed the musical last spring. Kinda spawned from the fantasy-themed company thing."

"For our prankster of pranksters," the director continued as the crowd died down, "as you would expect, our Robin "Puck" Goodfellow will be played by Natsu Dragneel!"

The class laughed at the fitting role, but Natsu's hand shot up immediately.

"Wait, gramps, I can't be on stage though!" he called.

Gray jeered over the crowd, "Yeah gramps, he can't act at all!"

"Shut up, Gray," Natsu growled through the chuckles. "Laxus is out this semester because of a schedule conflict. I'm the only one who can run the sound booth, so I can't be on stage."

"Sounds like an excuse not to embarrass yourself, flame-for-brains," Gray scoffed.

Director Dreyar hummed to himself, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "You're right, Laxus is out, we really need an experienced hand for this production. I could recast Demetrius and pull Loke off stage for this one…" Several girls gasped in horror and the old man immediately regretted the suggestion. "You're right, Natsu. But who to cast in your place?"

"Gramps, maybe he could do both!" Gray joked, "We could rig a zipline from the booth to the stage so he could get on and off in time. He'd probably have to quick change on the fly, but I'm sure the crowd would look away since he's hideous."

Several classmates laughed and Natsu hissed, about to retaliate when the Director jumped in. "Well, Gray, it seems like you're similar enough that you could take the role instead."

"Wh-what?" Gray sputtered. Natsu's irritated scowl swiveled from the dark-haired boy to the mustachioed man.

"That ice freak ain't nothing like me!" Natsu fumed.

"Darn right I ain't!" Gray snarled. "That gecko can't act for his life!"

"Well then it's a good thing you _can_ ," the director smirked, "because you're my second choice."

Both Gray and Natsu grinned proudly for a minute before scowling and simultaneously yelling, "Hey!"

The director ignored them and continued, "Our fairy attendants will be Levy McGarden, Kinana Cubellios, Laki Olietta, and Sonya Eclair. You may decide amongst yourselves who is who. Everyone else, you're backstage full time! Actors, spend the rest of this class working lines. Stage crew, meet me backstage in 10 minutes for assignments! Let's go!"

The class gave a cheer and started filtering off into different areas. Lucy tentatively weaved her way up to the edge of the stage to talk with the director.

"Um, Director Dreyar?" she asked hesitantly. The short man looked down at her from the stage as though he were a hundred feet tall. Lucy gulped.

"Who are you, may I ask?" he said sternly.

"My name is Lucy," she stammered, "I just transferred here, and I'd like to join-"

"Oh a newcomer!" He perked up and gave her a huge warm smile. "Sure thing kiddo! Got papers for me to sign, right?"

Lucy blinked before registering what he was saying. "Oh! Right! I have them in my bag." She moved to pull her bag off of her shoulder and found herself grasping at air.

"Eh?!" She twisted around looking for her silver messenger bag, the director chuckling a bit. Suddenly the bag was dangling before her eyes.

"Sheesh, Luigi, stop making me carry your stuff," Natsu whined before shooting her a smirk. Lucy snatched the bag from him with a scowl and began digging through it.

"I can't put you in the show," the director noted as she pulled out her papers, "but you're welcome to help off stage or audition for the next company production."

"Company production?" she asked. The director nodded and took a seat on the stage with the paperwork in front of him.

"The whole company meets right after school," Natsu chimed in, "We're usually running a company play, a company musical, a university production, and a high school production all at once, plus any minor performances like improv stuff. Our company finished _The Crucible_ just two weeks ago, and tonight is closing night for our musical, so more auditions will be coming up."

"That's all well and good, Natsu," the director murmured, finishing his signature with a flourish, "but it doesn't give her anything to do during class."

"Psh, easy!" Natsu smiled, clapping Lucy on the back, "She can team up with me in the sound booth!"

"Team up with you?" Lucy blinked.

"Well yeah, I'll train you on the tech stuff. Then you can help out with the really crazy effects," he replied with a toothy grin. "We can do some of the crazy stuff with multiple spotlights and color fades. We already get along pretty well so I betcha our timing will be perfect!"

Lucy didn't hesitate for another second before beaming enthusiastically. "That sounds like fun! I'm in!"

Natsu's face lit up even more and he turned to the director. "What do you say, gramps?"

"Well," he said thoughtfully, "It would be handy to have another person trained on the lights. I'd love to get you, Laxus, and Loke on stage together sometime. Have at it."

"Yosh!" Natsu yelled. He and Lucy shared an impromptu secret handshake. "We're all set! Let's go!"

"Aye sir!" Lucy laughed in reply.

"Glad to have you on board, Miss Lucy!" Director Dreyar laughed as Natsu dragged her up the aisle towards the sound booth stairwell. Lucy's heart pounded, the day's events settling in her mind. _I'm in Fairy Tail! Finally!_ The grin on her face was so wide that her cheeks started to ache, but she was so happy she couldn't do anything about it.

Natsu tugged her up the stairs and kicked open the door at the top, revealing a mostly black room containing two swivel chairs, a small wooden table, and a huge electronic console covered in sliders and toggle switches. The wall behind the console was not a wall at all, but a floor-to-ceiling window giving a spectacular view of the stage and seats. Suspended above the console were three very expensive looking screens, and in the far corner an extra wide door was propped open to reveal a darkened staircase going up.

Natsu dropped his bag onto the small table and threw himself into the far seat, sliding down the console and turning in a full circle. Lucy followed suit, hooking her bag over the back of her seat before examining the multitude of buttons splayed out in front of her. Natsu wasted no time jumping into an explanation of all their functions and quirks, speaking so quickly Lucy could barely keep up. When he got to the sliders Lucy had to stop him and pull out a notebook.

"So that's how the fog machines work, and the back stairs go up to the manual spotlights," he concluded with a grin. "Oh, and when the lights are on in here, they can see us from onstage. I found that out the hard way."

"The hard way?" Lucy puzzled, "What were you doing in here?"

Natsu turned a terrific shade of scarlet. "L-l-let's just say it was Gray's fault and leave it at that."

"Oh now you've _got_ to tell me!" she said with a grin.

"Hell no!" he spluttered.

"I guess I'll just ask Gray later…" she sighed, grinning slyly.

Natsu blanched. "No, Luce, you can't do that to me-"

"Consider it payback for calling me Luigi!" she cackled.

"I was joking! _Jyoudan da yo!_ _ **[2]**_ " he whined back. Before Lucy could rub it in further the door clicked open.

"Hey, Natsu, is it cool if I leave my bag here until after rehear-" The bag in question hit the floor with a hefty thud.

"Oh hey Loke! Sure thing man!" Natsu chimed.

Lucy immediately felt uncomfortable, her attention now glued to the auburn-haired actor. His mouth hung open slightly, eyes wide. Tension permeated the space between them. She had never seen such a perfect rendition of the deer-caught-in-the-headlights look, and if she thought the mood was right she would have commented on it. Natsu apparently thought it was right, though.

"You look like a dear caught in the headlights," he laughed, "You okay dude? Should I tell Gramps to cast you as a background animal instead?"

Loke didn't even blink. Lucy got the impression that if she didn't say something he would stand there gaping at her for who knew how long. _Why is he so scared of me? He didn't look up from the table once during lunch. It's not because I was kinda rude earlier, is it?_

Collecting herself, she smiled warmly and offered a quick "hey!" That seemed to snap him out of whatever trance he was in. He shook his head and picked up his bag to set it on the table.

"Loke?" Natsu frowned.

"Hm?" the ginger said, "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just, didn't know- well I mean- usually it's just-"

"Ohhhh yeah yeah I'm teaching Lucy the sound booth stuff," the pinkette grinned. "Gramps wants another person trained on this, y'know?"

"Y-yeah," Loke stuttered, eyes flickering to Lucy uncomfortably, "Good to have you on board."

"Thanks!" Lucy beamed. Despite her best efforts, she was pretty sure the awkwardness still showed on her face.

Thankfully Natsu didn't seem to pick up on the tension and jumped straight into talking logistics with Loke. Their chatter gave Lucy a moment to breathe and go over the sliders and knobs again in her head. Soon enough Loke made a hasty retreat back to the main stage. From the booth she could see him flirting unabashedly with a few of the stage hands, taking up the suave demeanor he had had that morning. _So it really is me…_

" _Dou to omou?_ _ **[3]**_ "

"Hm?" Lucy turned to Natsu abruptly. "About what?"

"The booth," he replied, "What do you think?"

Lucy shook the encounter with Loke out of her head and took another look around. It was certainly impressive. They had some top-notch equipment to work with. It was pretty small, though; there was barely space to walk between the wooden table and the backs of their chairs, and the ceiling felt lower than normal. It didn't help that everything was painted black. That made her even more curious as to what exactly had been seen so easily from the outside that was presumably Gray's fault.

"I think…" Lucy smirked, "That you still haven't explained how you know this isn't one-way glass."

* * *

Gray sat on the end of the second row with his feet propped up on the seat in front of him, his script book in one hand and a blue highlighter in the other. He hadn't intended to take Natsu's role in the show when he started heckling the flame eater, but he certainly wasn't upset about it. If anything, he considered it a handy spark of good luck and timing. The pyromaniac would surely come flaming to him later over the whole thing, and Gray was itching for another brawl. This time, he'd win for sure.

A confident presence took the seat next to him, assuming a similar pose. Gray didn't look up from his script book, but he could tell it was Loke.

"I can't seem to make any headway with Evergreen today," he sighed, clasping his hands behind his head. "I guess I'll just have to wait until we start blocking scenes."

"Yeah, and how many girls will you seduce between now and then?" Gray scoffed.

Loke smirked and raised an eyebrow. "I don't _seduce_ , Gray, I _pursue_. I just happen to be very good at it. Don't insult the intelligence of my love interests with insinuations of trickery."

"Didn't seem to be _pursuing_ much today," Gray yawned, "You didn't even make eye contact with the new girl. Losing your touch?"

Loke's joking demeanor vanished. "That's different."

Gray finally looked up from his script. "Different? Last I saw she was gorgeous and single and into theatre."

"Yeah, but she's…" Loke didn't say any more, facial expression resting somewhere between frustration and… anxiety? He had never seen Loke anxious before, not even backstage. _I probably shouldn't ask._

"Anyway," Loke said, changing the subject, "Congrats on Robin Goodfellow. It's been a while since you've done a play, hasn't it?"

Gray almost laughed – he had been the second choice after all. "Thanks, Loke. It has been a while. Gramps likes to put me in the musicals because I can dance, but it's been ages since I wasn't on set for a play."

"This should be fun then," Loke grinned. "Maybe after rehearsals we can do some tag-team _pursuing_ eh?"

 _There it is,_ Gray thought. Loke was always trying to talk him into joining one of his "pursuits". He had never agreed, and he didn't intend to do so now either.

"Wouldn't it make more sense for you and Alzack to do that since you guys are the ones in the love quadrilateral?" he pointed out.

"Yeah," Loke sighed, "But you know Al. He's totally smitten with Bisca and he definitely doesn't have the nerve to do something about it."

"Then take Jellal," Gray countered, "He has the nerve."

Loke scoffed. "And end up on a double date with Erza? No thank you." He had a point. Jellal was quite obviously into the scarlet-haired fairy queen, and while Erza was good fun, she wasn't one to tolerate shenanigans.

"C'mon, Gray," he persisted, "Just think of it as more acting practice. You play shirtless, seductive characters all the time, right?"

"That's not because I want to!" Gray shot, exasperated. Loke gave him a funny look. _Yikes. Better tone that down._ He ran a hand through his hair nervously and continued. "I don't try out for those parts, I just get them by chance. Besides, hockey starts up soon. I won't have time."

Loke just rolled his eyes. _Hope that keeps him off my case for a little bit at least._

Just then, the bell signaling the end of school hours pinged softly from the foyer. _Here it comes._ Gray covered his ears.

As if on cue, Cana burst out from backstage holding a bright red megaphone. "WAS THAT THE BELL?!"

Gray and Loke both nodded and braced themselves.

"Hell yeah!" she shouted. In one swift motion, Cana grabbed the hem of her shirt, lifted it over her head, and tossed it into the seats. Now clad in a blue bikini top and shorts, she flicked on the megaphone and yelled deafeningly, "DRESS CODE IS DEAD!"

* * *

"Ugh, Natsu, now my tank top is covered in soot."

"Well you're the one who wore it," Natsu replied flatly, kneeling awkwardly in the tiny suspended loft as he shifted a spotlight back into place.

Lucy attempted to brush off the ash but only succeeded in rubbing it deeper into the fabric. She sighed. "I didn't know I'd be doing sound booth stuff. Besides, this is _your_ workspace. And _you_ are the one who works the pyrotechnics. Would it kill you to clean up a bit?"

"Look, Luce," Natsu grumbled, gesturing to the cramped space, "Do you really think I could get a broom up here?"

"Well… maybe not," she mumbled. Natsu gave a self-satisfied nod and began making his way along the platform to the stairs. Lucy followed behind in an awkward half-crawl. "Still, you could find something!"

"Like?" Natsu slid off the walkway onto the landing of the stairwell.

"Maybe one of those handheld vacuums?" she offered as she slid off behind him. If the stairwell weren't so dark she would have seen that her pants were also now covered in soot.

"Too expensive and not reliable," he maintained. "Gah, geez Luce that was my foot!"

"Sorry," she huffed, "You're also the one who said we shouldn't turn on the stairwell light."

"Well yeah, because we can't have the lights on during a show. Good practice." He made his way down the steps and pushed open the extra wide door into the cramped sound booth.

"Then why do we even _have_ lights?" She closed the door behind them with a hefty click.

Natsu turned to make an argument, but instead both of them found themselves covering their ears tightly as a loud megaphone-distorted screech filled the booth.

"Gah what is that?" Lucy winced, unclamping her hands from her ears. She looked at Natsu expecting a similar pained expression. Instead, he sported a large, mischievous grin.

" _That_ ," he smirked, "means the real fun begins."

Lucy's heart jumped into her throat, all thoughts of her soot-ruined tank gone, as Natsu pulled his hoodie over his head. What she had thought was a T-shirt was actually an open black vest with a goldish yellow hem. Under it he wore nothing, and that's what made Lucy's eyes boggle. Sculpted pecs and shoulders, lean but defined biceps, and toned, tanned abs. Only inches from her. She could touch them if she wanted. The thought made her squeak.

"Ah, there we go!" Natsu said contentedly, readjusting his scarf. Lucy couldn't help but stare as his arms flexed and relaxed with the simple motion. _Ah no stop it Lucy! Snap out of it! This is like, the eighth guy you've ogled today!_

"Luce?" Natsu was suddenly only inches from her, gazing at her intently. Lucy leapt back with a shriek.

"W-W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Gah, you're so loud!" Natsu winced and covered his ears. "You were staring at me and didn't answer my question, so…"

She felt her face get hot. "Oh, u-um, sorry. What did you say?"

"Why are you staring at me?" he said, rolling his eyes in amusement. "You sure are weird."

" _I'm_ the weird one?" she shot back indignantly, " _You're_ the one who's practically half naked!"

Natsu simply shrugged. "It's too hot for shirts."

It was Lucy's turn to roll her eyes. "Oh that makes _complete_ sense, with it being the rainy season and all."

"I overheat easy. Here, feel." Before Lucy could object Natsu had grabbed her hand and put her palm in the middle of his chest. She gasped, both at the action and at the high temperature of his bare skin.

" _Atsui!_ _ **[4]**_ _"_ she yelped and pulled her hand away. "That's definitely above fever temperature. You should be really sick right now."

Natsu shrugged again. "Always been like that. And now that the dress code is dead, I don't have to wear a jacket!" Seeing her confusion, he pointed out the window. Lucy could see many of the students removing jackets and shirts or donning more outlandish clothes. Elfman had dropped his jacket in favor of his taut wifebeater. Erza had strapped a metal breastplate over her blouse. In the midst of it all, Cana now only had two blue triangles and a rectangle of denim covering her sensitive parts. The brunette had an almost crazed look in her eye, seemingly relishing the moment as her fellow club members shed layers. "As soon as the bell rings, the school dress code isn't enforced anymore. Cana gets real psyched about it. That was her on the megaphone."

Lucy watched her classmates below for another minute. She grinning as Cana quarreled with Gray, who had elected not to participate in the "festivities". Cana pointed angrily at him, then gestured to her bare stomach. Gray waved his hands in exasperation. Cana proceeded to snag Elfman by the front of his shirt and point at the side of his neck. Lucy squinted to get a better look. On his tanned, taut neck, she could just make out a small tattoo. Puzzled, she took another look at Cana's belly. Much clearer on her pale skin was a deep blue tattoo of the emblem hanging on the front of the theatre. The Fairy Tail Emblem.

"What are they doing?" Lucy asked.

"Probably arguing about Gray still wearing a shirt." Natsu stretched and clasped his hands behind his head.

"Why though? Does it have to do with the tattoos her and Elfman have?" Cana tugged on Gray's open button-up and he swatted her hand away.

"It's not just those two," Natsu laughed. He flexed his right arm and pulled back the hem of his vest with his other to show off a deep crimson version of the mark tattooed on his shoulder. "We all have them. Gray's is on his chest." Lucy looked back to see Gray angrily gesturing to Loke, who was awkwardly trying to make an escape. "Cana pesters Gray about it _allll_ the time. She says it's because 'company spirit', but I think she just likes to see him shirtless."

"With the way she pounced on Elfman, I wouldn't be surprised…" Lucy muttered. Cana finally gave up and stomped away indignantly, leaving Gray to study his scripts.

 _Bampampampam._ The knock on the door was followed by a frantic cry. "NATSU-NIIIIII!"

Natsu pulled open the door and a boy with dark indigo hair burst inside. He was young, maybe 13 or 14, and sported a long maroon waistcoat and a bright orange scarf. Judging by his equally sculpted abs and the scarlet emblem on his left shoulder, Lucy guessed he must have been Natsu's younger brother.

"What's up, Romeo? Everything okay?"

The boy's eyes were wet. "I can't find my dad. He wasn't in his classroom like he usually is, and he's not in the theatre either."

Natsu frowned. "That's weird. He was here teaching chemistry this morning."

Just then, Loke arrived in the doorway. Lucy felt her lungs seize up at his presence, and he looked just as uncomfortable. "Everything okay here?"

"Ah, Loke, perfect timing!" Natsu exclaimed, pulling the ginger inside. "I'm gonna help Romeo find Macao. You stay here and run the lights for the dress rehearsal with Lucy. _Jaa ne!_ _ **[5]**_ "

With that, he and Romeo vanished, leaving Loke and Lucy behind.

* * *

[1] Nothing!

[2] A joke!

[3] What do you think?

[4] Hot!

[5] Seeya!


	4. Anima Extalia

Lucy sighed, stretching and flopping back onto her bed. The dress rehearsal – if you could call it that – had only gone for maybe an hour and consisted mostly of the crew running a few of the more complicated dance scenes and rubbing out a couple bumps in the cues, none of which Loke seemed interested in helping her learn. The Loke she'd met that morning was nowhere to be found, instead replaced with a nervous, twitchy, hyper-focused stagehand who was determined to pretend she didn't exist. He hadn't said a word to her, even when she asked him things.

"Which one's the left spot again?"

 _Point._

"So you play guitar?"

 _Nod_.

"When do you think Natsu will be back?"

 _Shrug._

That hour had seemed like an eternity, dragged out second by second with anxious glances and awkward coughs. It wasn't a total loss, though. She'd been able to see first-hand why Jellal got the praise that he did. Most of the cast of _Anima Extalia_ were adult actors who seemed very experienced, and Jellal matched their skill note for note and step for step. They had done a battle scene featuring some crazy aerobatics – the choreographer had called it _capoeira_ – where Jellal had pulled some off some incredible flips and twists. She was kind of bummed the show was sold out, and based on the way Loke behaved it wasn't likely she could watch from the sound booth.

 _Guess I'll just have to try out for something,_ she thought. _Probably the next musical._

With nothing else to do, Lucy wiggled her phone out of her tight pockets and unlocked it with a few quick taps. She was used to most of the notifications – a few spam and school emails, a new video from a YouTuber she liked, and suggested pins for her astronomy board weren't out of the ordinary. To her surprise and delight, however, all of those lined up beneath six new texts from Levy.

 _I saw Natsu drag you to the sound booth. Nothing kinky going on is there? ;)_

 _omg i can't believe i said that plz don't show him_

 _Lucy?_

 _Oh right probs busy learning sound booth stuff k nevermind_

 _We hope you're here to stay, Lucy! Welcome to Fairy Tail!_

The last text brought tears to her eyes. Beneath the welcome message was an awkwardly thrown together group selfie, with Levy holding the camera and doing her best mock-Instagram face. Jet and Droy crouched next to her, grinning, while Cana leaned on them, pointing a finger gun and winking. Erza stood over Levy with her soft smile, and Gray stood just next to her, arms crossed over his chest and giving the camera a smirk. In the corner, she could make out the boxy shape of the sound booth, a blur of pink and a blur of blonde just visible in the fuzzy background.

Lucy grinned and rubbed a tear from her cheek. She let her thumbs dance over her keyboard while she tried to think of a good response. _They really like me,_ she sighed. _I'm in Fairy Tail, and they like me!_

Her phone gave a buzz and she squeaked as her hands jerked in surprise, making her lose her grip on the slender piece of technology; she juggled it awkwardly for a second before it landed flat on the pillow next to her. She scrambled onto her stomach and flipped the vibrating phone over, grinning at seeing Natsu's profile picture humming on the screen. She slid her thumb across the icon and put it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Heya Luce!"

Lucy winced at the sudden noise, moving it a little further from her head. "Hey! What's up?"

"Are you coming to the show?" he sang. She could almost see his toothy grin in the tone of his voice.

"It's sold out, isn't it?"

"Well yeah," Natsu replied, "but you're in the company now! You can watch from the sound booth with me!"

Lucy bit her lip. "Is that okay? I wouldn't want to get in your way – it's already pretty cramped with just two people up there."

"You won't get in the way," Natsu chuckled, "Right Loke?"

She felt her breath hitch. Though she heard a faint "uh, sure" wobble on the other end, she knew the red-head was most certainly _not_ okay with that. She wasn't particularly fond of the boy, and certainly not of his playboy kind, but… he seemed genuinely _afraid_ of her, and for no reason that Lucy could deduce. She didn't want to make things worse if she could avoid it.

"No, it's okay, Natsu," she replied, "I should probably rest up – I'm a little woozy from all the action yesterday and today."

"Aww, c'mon Luce! Is it cuz you're afraid Loke will make a move on ya?" She heard Loke splutter something frantically. "Don't worry, I won't let him use a single pick-up line!"

"No, no," Lucy laughed uncomfortably, "I just really need some rest."

"Oh, okay." Natsu seemed disappointed, but only for a moment before perking right back up. "I found a great role for you, by the way! I'll tell you about it tomorrow, yeah?"

She smiled. "Sounds good!"

"Yosh! _Ja na!"_

"Bye!"

The screen turned black and she sighed. _I'll just have to miss this show, I guess._ She rolled onto her back and picked up her phone again, humming as she decided what to do. She opened Instagram on a whim and flicked down to a random spot in her feed. It was another video posted by the school, bearing a very familiar face and a very familiar tag. She grinned.

 _I'd prefer to hang with him in person, but I guess this Salamander will do._

Gajeel really wasn't one for theatre.

It was cheesy, weird, and straight up uninteresting. People prancing around on stage in frilly costumes, pretending to be things they're not? And set to _music?_ No, not really his thing at all.

Well, maybe that was a lie. He was in the Cosplay Club, after all.

But there was no way he'd ever admit the two things had anything in common. Cosplay was an art – a dedication to replicating a character so perfectly that it seemed they had stepped out of the world of fiction and straight into reality. Cosplaying a character was the ultimate testament to how incredible that character and their world truly was, and thus, being a cosplayer came with the heavy responsibility of making sure that character was done justice. It wasn't this… _thing_ , that played out on the stage in front of him.

He couldn't really complain, though. Not since he was here on a date.

A _second_ date, at that.

He leaned back further into his seat, scrunching down into his gray hoodie and tilting his head to look at the girl next to him. Sue was cute. She was at least a head shorter than him, with darker, tanned skin and forest green hair cut off at her shoulders. Now she wore a beige blouse and a short black skirt, but Gajeel much preferred her usual attire – a blue shirt with ripped sleeves and green cargo pants, along with an oddly adorable purple jester's hat. He'd asked her out casually last week and they'd gone four-wheeling; when she asked him in return, this had been her suggestion.

He almost said no, but he actually kind of liked her.

He sighed, settling in for the show. The overture had finished, as well as the opening number – a solo by a guy in some weird ninja gear. Gajeel was pretty sure he'd seen him around school hanging with the other Fairy Tail dorks, which was a little bit of a surprise. Then again, all Fairy Tail had to work with was Fairy Tail, so maybe giving the title role to a teenager was the best they could do. Either way, the number was somewhat foreboding and left Gajeel with prickly discomfort itching at the back of his neck.

Sue gasped as the scene changed in a flash of smoke and a sheen of light. The eerie set the ninja dude had occupied was replaced with a multi-tiered stage painted as floating isles on a backdrop of a beautiful blue sky. Gajeel gave a smirk as Sue turned back, smiling, to see if he was watching. As soon as she looked back to the show he scrunched further into his seat. _Maybe I can pick up some cosplay design ideas at the very least._

The show was pretty strange, in Gajeel's opinion. Half the characters seemed to be humans from some post-apocalyptic magic-science hybrid country, and the other half were… cats? Cat people? Cat angels? Whatever they were, at least they weren't furries. He had to admit the half-cat costumes were very well done, blending prosthetics perfectly into skin and avoiding the whole mostly-naked-with-body-paint deal that so often killed good animal cosplays. The rigging they used for some of the aerobatics attached to very well disguised harnesses with pretty impressive angel wings that seemed to be high quality animatronics. They'd somehow managed to get realistic tails as well, which moved and swished about like real ones instead of dangling limply or sticking out at awkward angles. _Pretty cool, that._ He made a mental note to scare the technique out of one of the stagehands later.

The main protagonist appeared to be a bluish cat called Shiawase, who, of course, was in love with a girl. _Typical of musicals._ The girl was a beautiful white cat called Charlotte who seemed to be a princess of sorts. From what Gajeel could tell, the two were just trying to elope while the humans warred with the cat people and it really wasn't going well.

"Gajeel," Sue whispered suddenly, pointing to Shiawase, "Isn't that… Gray?"

Gajeel did the air equivalent of a spit take as he suddenly recognized the blue cat, sitting forward in his seat to study him with a squint.

"Sure is," he chuckled. "Damn that's a lot of makeup. Too bad he still looks like a twat."

Sue gave him a pout. "C'mon, Gajeel, be nice. He helped you with the kanji on one of your katanas, didn't he?"

"Tch." Gray _had_ been helpful that _one time,_ being from Japan and all, but he was still a Fairy Tail dork.

As the show went on the story got more complicated. If Gajeel had cared, he would have found himself torn on which side of the war to get behind. The cat angels were some sort of tyrannical deities or the like, in which case he favored the humans, but the humans were merciless executioners who slaughtered their own kind as readily as they slaughtered the cats. As badass as that was, he couldn't really get behind that either. Not that he was emotionally invested or anything. If he had to pick, he'd probably go with the humans – mainly because of the large, bulky black cat who had betrayed his kind to fight alongside them. Gajeel really didn't care much, but that character was pretty neat.

The ninja guy from the beginning – Mist Can or something – was turning out to be kind of cool too. He was revealed to be the exiled prince of the human nation, swooping in to save the imprisoned cat protagonists right before intermission, and Sue bubbled over him through the entire break. Gajeel would have preferred to go get a snack, but… she was pretty adorable when she got all excited like that, so he didn't mind _too_ much. He'd lost track of most of the plot at this point, but he was actually sort of enjoying himself. Kind of. Maybe.

The entr'acte ended with a very mournful piccolo solo and the lights rose on the remains of a blackened forest. Charred branches scraped and clawed at the orange sky. Smoke effects drifted up in billows and the crackling of flames hummed in the silence. This was a totally different feel from when the show had begun. After another moment, the three main protagonists rushed onto the stage.

"W-wait," Charlotte stammered, stumbling "I… I need to rest."

"We cannot stop now," the ninja man replied. "We have to get as far from the city as we can. It's only a matter of time before my people use the Dragon Cannon."

"There must be something we can do!" Shiawase cried. "We can't just run away!"

"There is _not_ ," he growled. He turned to continue the escape, cloak swishing behind him.

Shiawase rose to his full height, gesturing back the way they came. "You would just abandon your people? Your friends? You would turn your back as hundreds of innocents are murdered?!"

The man whirled around and ripped his veil from his face, storming up to the blue cat and leering over him. "I do not do so lightly, _Exceed!_ May I remind you that it is _your_ people who began this war?! That _your_ _kind_ have used us as slaves for centuries?!"

"That doesn't change your cowardice! You're running away, Mystogan! Running from your throne and your duty! It was not _my people_ who made you this way!"

The two continued to argue as a harp plinked a note and the lighting around Charlotte changed tones. A tear ran down her face as she sang a pitiful, _"Please, stop…"_

"Stop?" Mystogan laughed as a bass tremolo hummed beneath him. In a darker tone he sang back.

 _"It is not I who slaughtered thousands._

 _Who killed children!_

 _Who drove their slaves to madness!"_

Shiawase picked up the melody, gesturing to the burning landscape.

 _"Do you think this is what we wanted?_

 _Do you think this is the life we crave?_

 _No, your Highness._

 _You're wrong._

 _We may be at fault, but we tried to stop it!_

 _It is you_

 _who ran away."_

Mystogan stormed forward. _"You speak of things you know nothing about,"_ he spat back.

Shiawase hissed. " _And you run from people who need you!"_

Mystogan's voice took on a tone of fury _._

 _"There's naught I can do,_

 _she's doomed them all._

 _My people are dying, Exceed._

 _Our kingdoms have slaughtered each other!"_

 _"We can end that,"_ Shiawase sang more insistently,

 _"We can end it all!_

 _We can't just save ourselves_

 _we have to do something!"_

Mystogan took a deep breath. _"All you will do is die."_

Shiawase leapt at Mystogan, letting loose a vicious snarl. Gajeel raised an eyebrow in surprise. _Damn, Gray, that was startlingly realistic._

 _"Please, stop…"_ Charlotte sang again.

Mystogan pushed Shiawase away and removed his staff from his back.

 _"We can't fight like this…"_ she sobbed.

Shiawase took a fighting stance and the invisible rigging lifted him off the stage.

 _"I said STOP!"_

The outburst from the white cat reverberated in the theatre. Her labored breath was the only sound heard in the room as she got to her feet. She stepped up to the unmasked ninja and looked him straight in the eye.

 _"I am sorry."_ She intoned softly.

 _"I could have stopped this._

 _I could have tried harder._

 _Mother wouldn't listen._

 _Couldn't listen._

 _The blood of your people is on my hands._

 _We have both made grave mistakes_

 _and cost innocents their lives._

 _Millions may yet die and it will be our faults."_

She paused and sighed before clenching her fists. When she began again, her voice was made of fire.

 _"But how dare you!_

 _How dare you just give up?!"_

Mystogan stumbled back a step, mouth dropping open slightly. Charlotte didn't back down.

 _"This is your country, isn't it?_

 _Can't you do anything without your throne?_

 _Though it was all a lie_

 _didn't you try to live your best life,_

 _protect your people where you could?!_

 _Why are you giving up?!"_

The air around Charlotte began to shimmer and slowly her feet rose off the ground. Mystogan stared up at her in awe.

 _"So what if you're weak!_

 _You're not alone!_

 _When weak things work together_

 _Strength is born!"_

As if by magic, Charlotte's wings grew and turned iridescent. Gajeel's jaw actually dropped – he could not fathom how they managed _that_.

 _"My country will not be destroyed!_

 _It is my homeland!_

 _It's not going anywhere!_

 _I will die before I abandon it!_

 _And I will die before I let you abandon yours!_ "

In a burst of radiance and glitter her wings spread wide. The backdrop turned from burning orange to a smattering of stars as luminescent mist rose from the stage. She looked into the distance beyond the audience as she belted the last lines of the powerful refrain.

 _"I won't give up!_

 _I will stop this all,_

 _or I will die trying!"_

The rigging pulled her out over the audience at a startling speed, her wings and gown sweeping through the air in a dazzling blaze of light. The walls of the theatre suddenly became the night sky as she soared past, sweeping higher and higher until finally she was out of sight. In the near silence a single violin held a harmonic quietly as attention turned back to the stage.

Shiawase met Mystogan's gaze with a stern resolve. Hesitance flitted in the man's eyes, and the cat extended his hand.

"Are you coming?"

The violin dwindled to nothing. Gajeel suddenly realized he was holding his breath.

With purpose, Mystogan took the hand.

Shiawase smirked. Suddenly, the bass of EDM rumbled from beneath the seats, setting up a slow build. A chill shot down Gajeel's spine and he exchanged amazed looks with Sue.

"Hold on!" Shiawase hooked his arm under Mystogan's and gripped his wrist with both hands. The call of distant bagpipes echoed in the room on top of the building music. The two men took a few steps back. Shiawase flicked his wings out wide. The music grew as the bagpipes seemed to get closer. Mystogan nodded. Shiawase smiled. Then, they sprinted and leapt off the stage.

The scoring roared into a variation on the main theme at twice the speed it had been sung; Shiawase took off over the crowd, carrying Mystogan higher in a maelstrom of light and fire. Gajeel's mouth hung open in awe as the audience let out whoops and whistles. _Mystogan's not wearing a harness. Is Gray… legitimately carrying him?_

The two made a few more circles of the audience, the walls of the theatre – which Gajeel had figured out were screens – providing a continuous backdrop that gave the illusion of distance. As the music came to a close, they landed back on the stage, now a broken battleground of a city.

This was where Gajeel suddenly felt very, very strange.

"Cougairis!" Mystogan shouted. The scene was a blur of motion, cats and humans in combat in every conceivable space. Actors had spawned miraculously in the aisles near the stage and on one of the side balconies. That combined with the flash of explosions and the clang of swords made the battlefield come to life. He was surprised he could still easily focus on the main characters despite the chaos.

"Cougairis! I need your help!" Mystogan called again.

The man in question was forced onto the stage, locked in combat. This was the cat that he'd liked. The panther held back three other cats with his giant blade, fighting for control as they pushed their swords against his own. With a roar that Gajeel was sure just _had_ to be recorded, the giant cat shoved his adversaries backwards, two falling off the front of the stage and out of sight. The last stumbled back, gripping his side painfully before crumpling to the floor in a heap.

The black cat turned to face Mystogan, and Gajeel froze.

Over Cougairis' left eye was a slash; a deep, thick, raw slash that hadn't been there in the first act.

Gajeel's head throbbed and his heart pounded, chest tightening until all he could manage was a raspy pant. The edges of his vision grayed. _Wha…? What's happening?_

"Gajeel?" He heard Sue whisper his name, but it sounded as though it were a thousand miles away. "Gajeel, are you okay?"

He lifted his hands and felt them tremble wildly as his eyesight shrunk to a pinpoint. He could hardly see, hardly feel. His long, wild hair fell over his shoulders as he tried to shake away whatever was doing this to him. He could no longer register Sue tugging at his arm in worry.

 _What…? Is this one of those… panic attack things?_ He couldn't think of any reason he would have a panic attack – he'd never had one before and didn't have any traumatic experiences that he could think of. _It can't be a panic attack. Why would a play give me a panic attack?_

He looked back to the stage. His tunnel vision centered back on Cougairis. He tried to look away, to any other character, any other piece of set, but the cat's scarred face seemed to fill his view. That scar. That black fur. That white muzzle. Something seemed to be stabbing his brain at every angle and yet he could not tear away from that face. Suddenly the cat looked out into the audience – looked right at him. As if being shot through the heart his breath stopped, and somewhere in the deepest recesses of his mind, he heard his own voice.

 _I'm taking you back to my guild one way or the other! And then, I'm going to make you my cat!_

Gray watched from the shadows as Elfman strode to the front of the stage, their one and only child actor, Violet, perched on his shoulder. The audience roared and whistled as the large black cat set her down and she gave a small curtsey. _Incredible, for a third grader,_ Gray smirked. _I hope she sticks around_.

The curtain call had always been one of Gray's favorite parts of a show. Especially the final curtain call, on closing night. Molding yourself into another character was a huge, exhausting effort, and sometimes it was difficult to let go and become oneself again after rehearsal. The final curtain call, Gray felt, was an effective way to bridge the gap between being the character and living his own life. The audience, just for that final scene, now acknowledged you as both the role and the actor. In a way, it was a moment where he could be both people at once.

The music changed from Cougairis' theme to that of Shiawase and Charlotte. Gray straightened his moss green, one-sided shawl over his bare shoulders and strode out from behind the curtains. From the other side, Charlotte – or perhaps now he should say Laurissa – strode out to meet him, a spring in her step as she took his hand. Renewed whistles and shouts rose from the house as they approached the edge of the apron, and just as they had done for every curtain call, Gray pulled her in for a kiss before they took their last bow. It had been her idea, of course, and the audience ate it up like free salsa at a Mexican restaurant. He and Laurissa weren't romantically involved, but the reaction from the crowd was something they could both get behind.

The two parted as the music changed again, gesturing extravagantly as the star of the show took the spotlight. Mystogan rushed forward, twirling his staff several times before planting it solidly and whipping off his veil. The crowd screamed, applauding wildly and jumping to their feet. Gray clapped just as fiercely – not just for the performance, but for the grin spreading slowly over the blue-haired boy's face. He knew that grin. The sage-prince Mystogan was gone; _Jellal_ was back.

The company linked their hands and took their final bows as the music finished, and for the last time on that show, the curtain dropped.

"Excellent work, everyone!" Director Dreyar joined the scene from backstage, a toothy grin peeking from behind his mustache. "Very good indeed! A show well worth the effort! Head on home and we'll strike the set tomorrow evening!"

"And don't forget, the cast party is on Friday!" Mirajane added. The group bubbled into an energetic hum, matching the chatter of the audience just beyond the curtain. Hugs and claps on the back passed around along with laughter and the repetition of various inside jokes. Gray was happy – sometimes the afterglow of a performance was just as good as the show itself.

"Gray!" He twisted around to find the source of the call. Jellal waved him over. He grinned.

"Good to have you back, Jellal," Gray replied. They did an elaborate fist-bump.

"It's good to be back," Jellal sighed. "At least, for a bit. King Oberon's not a very complex character, so I won't have to get into him for another couple weeks."

"I'm sure Erza's happy about that," Gray nudged playfully.

Jellal blushed. "You could say that."

"MYSTOGAN!" Gray turned just in time to dodge Elfman barreling through the crowd. The burly teen clapped Jellal hard on the back, and Jellal looked like he might've had the wind knocked out of him. "Your performance! OTOKO DA!"

"Thanks," the blue-haired boy coughed. "You can call me Jellal now, though."

"Oh, right," Elfman chuckled. He turned to Gray. "Gray! You coming to Angie's with us?"

Gray was tempted to say yes. He really wanted to. But he wasn't sure if he'd make it that long.

"No, I gotta head home," he replied. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Homework, y'know?"

Elfman gave him a funny look. "Homework? How? Today was literally the first day of school."

Gray gulped. "Japanese stuff, y'know? Have to prep for tutoring."

"Mmmm _zannen da ne…_ " Elfman hummed.

"Yeah, that's too bad," Jellal continued. He didn't look as convinced as Elfman was.

"Yeah…" Gray trailed off. He glanced between the two nervously, but tried to continue as if nothing were strange. "I should probably head out, actually. It's pretty late and I really gotta get started."

Jellal nodded, though his eyes still flickered with doubt. Gray gave a slight wave and sauntered away as confidently as he could, despite the knot in his stomach.

He made a short stop by the dressing room to pick up his things and drop off his shawl, his wings, and a few of the smaller accessories. The majority of his costume had been body paint and various prosthetics, so there wasn't much he had to return to the company – there wasn't much he had to wear on his way home, either. Body paint wasn't a fun stain to get out of clothes, and he certainly didn't want to scrub it out of his favorite jacket.

He made his way out the back to the rear parking lot, the night air chilling his bare chest. The cold didn't bother him much – he was a hockey player, after all – but he was glad he'd come extra early to school to snag the closest spot. He clicked his key fob and the lights of his Chrysler 300 flashed. No one else had left yet; traffic was clear.

The ride home passed in a haze, as it always did. A turn here, a traffic circle there, the wonky tree on the end of the block followed by the gas station. He pulled into the dark driveway of his small, blocky house. No lights were on; his roommates were likely asleep. _Good._

He locked his car by hand so it wouldn't make a sound, then slipped inside as quickly and quietly as he could manage. A fan was on in the entryway, blowing softly against his bare chest. He cursed silently. His roommates wouldn't have known better – he'd never said anything, never even gave a hint. At least, he was pretty sure he hadn't. He wasn't really sure if that was actually a good thing.

 _Just get to the shower,_ he thought. _Get the paint off. You'll be fine. Only a few more minutes._

He left the lights off as he made his way through the house, familiar enough with his home not to bump into anything in the dark. He figured most normal people could do that, could walk through their own house in the dark. This wasn't strange. He was normal, too. Completely normal. Other people had sudden adrenaline jumps, right? It was nothing. Normal people occasionally had their heart start beating out of control, too, right? He was fine. He would be fine. This was normal.

Gray wasn't sure he was being so stealthy anymore – blood pounded in his ears and he could hardly breathe, let alone tell if anyone else was awake. It was fine though. He shut the bathroom door behind him and ripped off the last of his prosthetics. It stung; the glue was particularly strong on his face. It didn't matter though. If he was bleeding, he'd find out later. He couldn't tell if he had cuts without the lights on.

His hands fumbled with the shower handles, shaking more than he would've liked. The water spattered for a moment before coming in a steady stream. _Good. Warm. Paint. Take the paint off._ He kicked off the last of his clothes. Steam. Hot water, sliding over his skin. Peeling away the paint. _Not fast enough_.

The blue skin of his character fell away, and left behind was only Gray.

Gray, and _her_.


End file.
